Weight update & some MMA talk

Current Weight: 213

I dropped eight pounds in the past 10 days. I also cut my body fat percentage by 4%. It would seem sticking to the RKC Challenge and doing phase 1 of the South Beach diet is helping. One more week to go on phase 1 from here and then on to phase 2 and more food choices until I hit my goal of 175 as walk around weight.

By walk around weight, I mean a weight that's pretty easy to maintain with decent training. If I were an MMA guy like Rory Markham, who is a king of cutting weight, I would be able to cut 20 lbs in a day and weigh in at 155 lbs and fight as a lightweight in the IFL. That means I'd be able to take on Chris Horodecki, Savant Young or Erik Ownings.

Correction, that means I'd be able to step into the ring and get my ass beat at 155, which is not really 155 btw. Those guys start sucking down sports drinks and pedialyte like its going out of style right after the weigh in. It's not the healthiest of things to do and definitely not for normal people who aren't in the condition these guys are. The question I always have is, how weak does it leave you?

I know right now that my heaviest kettlebell, the 70 pounder is way heavier now that I've restricted my calories. I'm not quite as strong as I was. In contrast to me, who is trying to burn fat, these guys are generally just losing body fluids, which can be replenished quickly. How weak it leaves you, I'm not sure. None of the guys we interviewed on the R.O.N. Show have talked about making them weaker. Maybe it doesn't or maybe we just forgot to ask the question.

If the MMA stuff interests you at all, you can check out The Ron Show or go right to the podcast page on talkshoe.

Or just listen to the show. There's more to life than just talking about losing weight after all...

Get stronger and lose weight with kettlebells

Progress is being made. I've gone from 229 to 221 in a little less than a month. At the beginning of that same period I bought two 50lb kettlebells and a copy of Pavel's "Enter the Kettlebell". . Sure, the book said I should probably get 34 pounders, but my ego got in the way. Shocking.

At first I could hardly do anything with the 50 pounders. Presses were impossible, Turkish Get Ups were really impossible and swings were doable but smoked me fast, especially one handed. I kept at it though and went through the RKC Minimum program exercises 5 days a week and ordered a 35 pounder to use for the Turkish Get Ups.

The work's paid off. I've dropped 8 lbs and just got a 70 lb kettlebell because the 50's were getting a bit too comfortable for larger volumes of swings and presses. Next stop is the 88 lb one and I think that should be it for my lifetime kettlebell purchases. I'll let you know when I get there.

With a bit more progress I think I'll be ready to either BJJ train again or start in with the Crossfit WOD at Fourth Power Fitness in Sacramento . I was going to join earlier -- but I was just waaaay to out of shape. I would have gotten hurt in BJJ and probably put myself in traction with an SST / Crossfit workout. Soon though. Almost ready for the next level.

Diet wise I'm trying to keep around 1800 - 2200 calories a day with a gradual adoption of the Zone Diet as I learn more about it.

Anyone out there training with kettlebells? Doing Crossfit? Doing the Zone Diet? Buelher?