Fifty reasons to love mixed martial artsBy Chuck Mindenhall, ESPN.com
10. Mike Dolce: He is the modern day Alberto Giacometti. Did you see what he did with Thiago Alves? Plus, the war on Teflon is only beginning to heat up.
Read Full TOP 50 Article
By Todd H.
MyDolceDiet.com member
Prior to starting 3 Weeks to Shredded I had gotten my yearly physical. I was surprised when I received the results of my blood work. I have always thought that I was a fairly “healthy” individual.
Much to my horror, the Doctor started telling me that many of my levels were way over the flag reference range, aka, bad. The Doctor immediately started listing off the medications I needed to start taking.
Much of my surprise and horror was due to the fact that I was in denial. I was at the heaviest weight I had been in my lifetime and in reality I was not feeling my best. I just had to face it and accept it. This information was a rude awakening for me, and I refused to ignore it.
The Doctor finished telling me what I needed to to do lower my cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, metabolic levels and vitamin levels back to a healthy range. I looked up and said, no. I refused to take any medications. At that moment I made a promise to myself that I would get back into great health without putting any chemicals in my body.
This was the point I decided to get off my ass, change myself into what I should be and know I can be. This is where 3 Weeks to Shredded happened and transitioned into Living Lean as a lifestyle.
On December, 4th of this year, I had another physical and blood results. I am happy to say that not only is my weight back to what I was in High School, all of my levels are back in the very healthy range, all of them!
The chances of me going back to my former lifestyle at this point are, ZERO.
Keep Living Lean and Thank You for reading.
Todd is a member of MYDolceDiet.com – Mike Dolce’s free-to-join online community where people from around the world are welcome to communicate about their health & fitness journeys.
Posted on November 30, 2012 by Damon Martin
MMAWeekly.com
The next fight for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is yet to be determined, but if he stays at 170lbs, the choice seems pretty clear to at least one guy who he should be facing.
Currently on vacation in France, St-Pierre hasn’t had much to say about what comes next for him, whether it’s a welterweight title defense or bumping up in weight to face middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a super fight.
St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi however recently stated that he believes if his fighter stays at welterweight that former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz deserves a crack at the belt ahead of current top contender Johny Hendricks.
Zahabi stated that Hendricks was deserving, but Diaz had done more and beaten more high profile opponents to stake his claim to a title shot.
In the battle of words amongst coaches, Johny Hendricks‘ coach and MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce vehemently disagrees with Zahabi’s choice.
“Johny Hendricks is the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division. He has proved that with devastating knockouts of Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann, and he beat Josh Koscheck, sick as a dog. There’s no excuse there, Johny’s never mentioned it, but I’m going to mention it right now, when Johny fought Koscheck he was so sick and if he ever released his medical records to show how sick he was, it’s amazing he even got in the cage, fought as well as he did, and beat Koscheck,” Dolce told MMAWeekly Radio on Thursday.
“Johny’s the No. 1 contender, and I’m a huge Nick Diaz fan. I will pay to watch Nick Diaz fight every time he steps into the cage, I always root for Nick Diaz, but Nick has not beat anybody in the UFC welterweight division yet. He has not earned his shot for biggest title in the world as 170lber, Nick hasn’t earned it yet.”
If it’s strictly about numbers, Dolce has them on his side and Zahabi doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on.
Over the past 10 fights, Diaz has gone 9-1 with his only loss coming by way of unanimous decision to former interim UFC champion Carlos Condit. Impressive as the record may be, the only win Diaz holds over a top ten welterweight at the time of the fight is his knockout of former UFC and Strikeforce fighter Paul Daley.
Outside of that win, Diaz has done nothing but beat up the competition but his list is littered with names like K.J. Noons, Thomas Denny, Evangelista Cyborg, and Scott Smith. All solid veterans, but none who sit in the top ten at 170lbs.
Looking at Johny Hendricks’ record over the last ten fights, there’s a much different story to be told. He is also 9-1 with his only loss coming by decision to Rick Story, but his wins include knockouts over top ten staples Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann, as well as a decision victory over Josh Koscheck.
Now if it comes down to a money fight, that’s where Zahabi might have a point when looking at Nick Diaz vs. Johny Hendricks as potential opponents for St-Pierre. Diaz has been a proven star and magnetic personality, while Hendricks has yet to carry a pay-per-view or even headline a UFC event during his career with the promotion.
But as Dolce points out, if it’s about money or the biggest fight possible, St-Pierre would be fighting Anderson Silva, not Nick Diaz.
If it’s about beating the best welterweight in the world, Dolce says the choice is clear and Johny Hendricks is the guy who has clearly defined himself as the top contender at 170lbs.
“If you want to talk about a money fight, if GSP wants a money fight, he fights Anderson Silva. If it’s about the money, he bumps up, he fights Anderson, and he makes the biggest payday in all of mixed martial arts history,” said Dolce.
“If he’s not fishing for that payday and he wants to defend his title, he has to defend his title against Johny Hendricks, who is the clear cut No. 1 contender. It’s the end of the story.”
Mike Dolce is going to be on MMA Junkie Radio on Friday, Nov. 9. Have a question you’d like Mike to answer on the air? Tweet it to @MMAJunkieGeorge or call in with your questions! Look below for details.
MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio, or watch it live on select television markets as part of Fight Now TV.
MMAjunkie.com Radio listener guide:
HOW TO LISTEN: Go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio and choose a streaming option (such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime) to listen to the show live. A countdown clock appears when the show is offline.
HOW TO WATCH (ON WEB): Check out a live webcam of the studio while there. You can also listen to a live audio stream of the show when you activate the video feed.
You asked for it and The Dolce Diet answered! Now you can get all of Mike Dolce’s #1 best selling books PLUS the Dolce Diet Signature T-shirt made famous at weigh-ins around the world in one great package! Introducing The Dolce Diet GOLD PACKAGE!
The GOLD PACKAGE includes The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN, The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN COOKBOOK, The Dolce Diet: Three Weeks to Shredded and The Dolce Diet Signature T-shirt!
PLUS, for a limited time we’re offering FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING! Begins shipping Nov. 15!
Check out this video where Mike answers over 65 different questions on a variety of topics asked by members of The Dolce Diet Facebook page! Feel free to ask your own question and join in the fun!
Check out this video where Mike answers 50 different questions on a variety of topics asked by members of The Dolce Diet Facebook page! Feel free to ask your own question and join in the fun!
by Mike Dolce
The increased popularity of Mixed Martial Arts has the words “weight cut” falling off people’s lips like it’s a trend. In fact, the weight-cut process walks a very precise, often dangerous line between what is healthy and what is hapless, and should not be taken lightly – pun definitely intended!
I define a weight cut as a temporary reduction of the body’s water volume. Keyword here? TEMPORARY!
A weight cut is something an athlete does for a weight-class delineated competition. This athlete is typically already at a healthy bodyweight with an ideal ratio of lean mass to bodyfat while training for his or her competition.
Weight loss, is something most people pursue in an effort to become healthier, leaner and to create the ability to live a more vibrant, fuller life. Weight loss focuses on the elimination of non-functional weight – the weight that is bogging you down and getting you nowhere! It interferes with our function as a healthy and thriving individual.
If you weigh 195 lbs. at 20 percent body fat you have 39 lbs. of body fat and 156 lbs. of muscle, bones, skin and organs, or functional weight.
At 20 percent body fat you have no idea what your abs look like and are at a high risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and early death.
Now, if you weigh 195 lbs. at 10 percent body fat, you look absolutely amazing. You only have 19.5 lbs. of nonfunctional fat, most of which is insulation from the environment, protects your joints and ligaments and serves as readily usable energy. You also have 175.5 lbs. of functional bodyweight, which is quite a lot compared to the chubbier version of yourself.
How different is 20 lbs. of muscle? I like to tell people to picture a 16 oz. steak sitting on your dinner plate. Now multiply that by 20 and stick them all over your body like Lady Gaga’s meat dress. Yes, 20 lbs. of lean muscle is quite substantial.
What does 20 lbs. of body fat look like? A great visual would be to fill up two entire gallon milk jugs of butter and cottage cheese, plus another two liter soda bottle of the same and pour it in a backpack, or better yet a REALLY BIG fanny pack sloshing around your hips! How would it feel slugging around that load of lard???
For the average man, we should maintain body-fat levels at approximately 10 percent. I don’t care if you are happy being 12 percent or you say, “I’m too old to be lower than 15 percent,” – that is your preference. You can drive around in a ’89 Honda Accord with low miles, but have you seen that new Cadillac CTS Coupe?!
Professional athletes should be around 7 percent for competition purposes. With my athletes, I make sure they are at 7 percent body fat three weeks before competition so we can increase their calories as competition nears. In essence, we feed them onto the scale.
The last couple pounds, (or dozen pounds depending on the athlete), is simply a matter of adjusting electrolytes, stimulating their metabolism and managing their digestive environment. A much simpler way of putting this is to feed them familiar, nutrient dense, easy to absorb foods, at even intervals, but not so much to slow digestion, in fact, just enough to speed it up.
Ladies, you should aim for 20 percent body fat as your daily walk around weight and closer to 16 percent for most higher levels of athletics.
This means the average 130 lb. woman at 20 percent body fat would hold 26 lbs. of non-functional body fat and 104 lbs. of functional lean mass weight.
That same female, if she were a competitive athlete, would best be suited in the vicinity of 16 percent body fat, would carry 20.8 lbs. of non-functional body fat and 109.2 lbs. of functional lean mass weight.
It means, do you really want to look your best or are you going to be happy with just looking a little better, which is fine but it is well below your potential.
Let’s face it, life is much more enjoyable with your clothes off! Before you drag this article into the gutter, I’m referring to the confidence you feel when you walk into a room with a tight waistline hidden behind your little black dress or form-fitting suit.
Who doesn’t want to be the first one in the pool with zero reservations about pulling off your shirt?
Why wouldn’t you want to keep the lights on when you are, umm, getting undressed?
The point is, aim for your best, enjoy where you are but always strive to do better.
Take it from me. I used to weigh 280 lbs. while training as a power lifter. This was my choice, and even though my ego was constantly gratified with bigger numbers on the barbell and trophies on my mantle, I hated the feeling of my belly sitting on my belt as I drove in my truck.
Once I decided to change my goals and purse a longevity-based lifestyle, I immediately began to love myself. I had enormous energy, a much improved sense of self and also the confidence of setting a goal and seeing it all the way through to the end.
Above, is a picture of the new me at 195 lbs. at 5 percent body fat, and the old me who once weighed 280 lbs. at 22 percent body fat!
Many of us, myself included, must be focused on fat loss and functional bodyweight. Not “cutting weight.”
If you’re beginning your weight-loss journey and would like more information about my methods, please check out The Dolce Diet: LIVING LEAN, available in paperback and eBook at Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, Barnes & Noble and The Book Depository.
Just the word GOAL invokes a destination. Whether it be an end zone, a mountain top or a smaller dress size, we all know what a goal should be.
The problem I come across more often than not is that people have loose goals. They kid themselves by pretending to have set a goal, when really they just have a wish.
“I want to lose weight,” is the most common but often goes no farther than that statement.
When confronted with this person I always ask, “How much exactly? What deadline have you set?? Let me see your action steps to get there.”
Very rarely is my first question answered and almost never are my second two even considered.
This is when I switch into COACH MODE and make sure my friend has a clear set plan before walking away, which can sometimes be inconvenient because I am often recognized as being the ‘diet guy’ in coffee shops, gyms, malls and for some reason ALWAYS at the movie theatre. My wife usually looks at me with a smile, knowing we are now going to miss the opening credits of the new Disney movie, while I attempt to change the course of my new friend’s life.
STEP 1
Set a clearly defined goal.
“I WILL (not want to) lose 40 lbs.”
Now you have a very clear picture of your exact destination. There is no confusion here.
STEP 2
“I WILL lose 40 lbs. in 120 days.”
Now you have a specific timeline. No more circling the drain, waiting to begin. The clock is now ticking.
STEP 3
“I WILL lose 40 lbs. in 120 days by following these ACTION STEPS.”
– Read ‘The Dolce Diet: Living Lean’ and create my own lifestyle approach to weight-loss using the principles, recipes and exercise programs that Mike has already laid out, most suited to my own ability, goals and medical background.
–Be consistent. For the next 120 days (and rest of my life) I will dedicate myself to achieving this goal and hold myself 100% accountable. Regardless of what unexpected trial or tribulation may come up in my life, I will continue on with my goal until I have found success.
–Create a support system. This may be your family, friends, team, coworkers or online community. I have started such a community at MYDolceDiet.com for all of us to support, motivate and inspire each other as we all travel toward our own unique goals. Pro-athletes, bikini models, lawyers, students, moms, law enforcement professionals and many others from all walks of life are members and the community is thriving!
–Begin TODAY! There is no better time like the present. Don’t push it off until Monday. Start now, as best you can, and continue making improvements the first few days. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t gone grocery shopping yet, or have a trip scheduled. Begin moving toward your goal immediately and constantly work to improve your situation as you go. Start NOW!!!
The Action Steps above are general but apply to each of you. I also instruct my students to sit down at a quiet table with a notebook they have purchased specifically for this project and write down everything. Your goals, a more complete version of these steps with greater detail as it relates to your specific situation, write your daily bodyweight, progress at the gym, frustrations, successes and so on. This book becomes your own training partner, support system, cherished friend and annoying cheerleader reminding you of how far you have come.
Ultimately, you know everything I have said above. I did not break new ground in this post and that was not my intention.
My GOAL here was to get you accountable and for you to START RIGHT NOW!!!
Check me out on Twitter @TheDolceDiet or on Facebook/TheDolceDiet and post your thoughts, comments, questions, photos and videos as you move closer to achieving your goals with the hashtag #DolceDietGOALS and I will follow your progress and help you stay on track.
Let’s do this together!
-Mike
