Thanks man! Really appreciate everything you say in your log. Helped me out a lot when I was prepping.
In a way, I don’t care about the comp as much. I’ve competed before (twice last year). Getting this lean and making weight have been my biggest struggles in last 10 years.
As an aside, last year, almost to the day, I competed and weighed in at 217. I didn’t think about weight much and carried much more fat… which reminds me. I need to get my dexa done today before the competition.
I’ll do a write up later, but won gold in Gi and had to withdraw from nogi. Broke my nose and tore my hamstring in the first 1.5minutes of first fight.
I was going to like your post until I got to the final part. Congrats on the win, and heal up quick dude!
Congratulations on the gold. Sorry to hear about the no gi match. That must have been a crazy 90 seconds!
Congratulations dude! Heal up quick.
La’
Thanks @T3hPwnisher, @burien_top_team and @redsol1!
I learned a lot from this. Most of which, is unrelated to grappling and more mental and physical side of dropping weight as well as proving I still have ability to compete through adversity.
FIrst thing first, I’m not disillusioned to the fact this is a masters 1, white belt tournament. It’s not worlds and nothing really comes from winning. It was more about pushing myself to the goal of getting lean and making weight. I’ve accomplished some cool athletic feats, hitting a level of Leannes and a weight has never been one of them.
Leading into it, M-W was no carbs and 2 gallons of water a day. TR was no carbs, 1 gallon of water. F was 2 cups of water and low sodium/no carbs.
Friday night: weight was 223.9 and I needed to hit 222 in my gi the next day. I hit the air dyne in 100F garage and sweat it out. The thought was, cool I’ll make weight now. Was very hard to have dry mouth all night and into morning.
Saturday morning. Woke up at 5 and drove hour to comp for weigh in. I had water, protein shake, electrolytes and caffeine ready for post weigh in. I came in at 221.
Run to car to drink. Felt amazing to have some liquid. Grabbed a dozen donuts so my kids could share in celebration. I tried to communicate why I was cutting this whole time so it doesn’t lead to issues down road.
Pounded electrolytes and surge all day. Ate bacon and eggs for breakfast. Then sushi at lunch. By 2pm, I was up to 231lbs and was feeling pretty good. I could tell some muscles were twitchy (upper back and right calf). So, from 230-250, while waiting for match I drank another 40oz.
Match time - There was supposed to be 5 competitors, but one dropped out. My first match is against a 6’ guy who was most athletic looking of them all. He had 4 stripes (I take mine off. Everyone else had 2-3). Match starts and I immediately reach in for collars. I had arm length advantage by far. He grabbed my right lapel with left arm, I pummeled in to regain inside, but took the cross collar. Then switched my left hand to sleeve. He removed and pulled back for a moment. I then stepped right and jumped left to initiate collar drag. Felt perfect, right foot hit his left foot and he went down HARD! BUT, he mule kicked up and got me on my nose. I fell down, blood everywhere, he then pounced and I closed guard. Fortunately, we had to stop to address my nose.
a few minutes pass, I have cotton stuck up my nose and we restart standing. I knew I couldn’t do that same move again, so was waiting for him to try and make grips so I arm drag. He didn’t, so I took both lapels and went for Osoto Gari… as my right leg stepped up and behind his right leg, he went for a collar drag. My right leg was extended and he fell on it. Fortunately, my knee didn’t take the brunt, but my hamstring did. (Upon reflection, this is probably due to water cut).
I wince in pain. My coach yells ‘Chris, your knee!’. I tell ref I’m fine and play close guard. I eventually hip bump sweep him, with guard closed (my leg was useless and couldn’t bridge). I take back and body triangle. Roll him to my back, grab the lapel. My coach yells to release body triangle to get points; I do. Then start pulling collar and get submission.
I hobbled off mat and my coach and prof were concerned with me continuing. It was just one more match for gold and I told them I could tap immediately if it hurt too much. They said, fine, just pull guard.
I go out and tell ref I’m fine. Opponent was much smaller than me. I just pretended I was doing no-gi, and had heavy collar ties. My plan was to pull him in with right hand, then foot sweep him. After pulling down hard, he went to knees but decided to get a single leg (my left leg). I tried to sprawl and we danced around for 20 seconds. Eventually I dropped and played my guard game (he got 2 pts). Twice I got my DLR and he back stepped right into my back take trap. Problem is, I was playing DLR to my bad side, and needed my right leg to hip up and take it. I didn’t have strength, so last time I got him in close guard. After a bunch of handfighint, coach told me 3 minutes and I was down 2-0. So, I faked arm drag and went for his other side for kimura. I got it in good and his coach told him to push me. So, he scooted me across mat as I was cranking the kimura. I ended up with my head under scorers desk and we reset. Because I was going for submission and he was defending, I got 2pts (2-2), but we had to reset standing. Not good for me. About 1.5 minutes left so I pull guard. Play DLR and he’s getting very frustrated that he can’t pass my guard. He leg dragged my right leg in desperation and I couldn’t do anything, so inverted to turtle. No points for him. I roll out of it eventually and we end match 2-2. I win, because I scored last and he had a penalty.
Overall, very happy that I pulled it off. Honestly, had my right leg worked, it would have been over much quicker. I was feeling really good and calm. For the first time, I was controlling the pace and playing my game (guard).
I had to pull out of no-gi, because when adrenaline dumped, I couldn’t walk. In fact, drive home was incredibly painful. I drove with my left foot on pedals.
I looked it up and that guy ended up winning the no-gi tournament, which had 6 competitors. Oh well… survive to fight another day. Again, just a masters 1 white belt tournament.
Here’s my post weigh in shape. Feeling full and much better. Also, my top cap sirloin post fight dinner. And finally my post fight photo from exactly one year ago, where I didn’t cut weight to same same weight class.
Edit: pics are out of order
Here it is. Bad timing on both our takedown attempts.
Yuck!
Heal up fast!
Follow up to this… the place got rid of their dexa scan. Not really sure why, they said it was too costly and people don’t really care for difference between it and other scans. They had an ‘In Shape’ scan… meh, I know its as thrown off by water manipulation. Oh well, I have measurements that are worth comparing to.
Great job! Good game plan and adapting to a bad situation. Also, good for you withdrawing and not getting injured even more. Heal up and keep at it. Lots to be proud of here.
La’
This was my suspicion as well. I tore my hamstring due to severe dehydration as well, although mine was just doing a set of Super Squats.
But dude, I TOTALLY misread your initial entry. I thought you won your gi division and THEN got your nose busted and hamstring torn in your first no-gi match and had to bow out. Dude, you are a goddamn WARRIOR! To finish your match with a broken nose and torn hamstring and THEN step on the mat again with a plan for how you’re going to win with all that already going down: you have seriously made my pick for who is on my kickball team during Ragnarok. I feel privileged to be a part of your experience here.
You deserve way more than just a steak for a win like that, but a steak was quite fitting.
I 100% thought that, but no way was I going to be that guy LOL.
What he said. Kudos.
Oh man, driving home I was telling my daughter that exactly half my life ago, I pulled my hamstring in a baseball practice but was too damn stubborn to step away for a week. Instead, I went right back out and ripped it off my knee. My monkey brain hasn’t changed at all in last 17 years. I was ready to go right back at it in nogi and just immediately sit, give up points and try and play a leg lock game. I 100% would have been on crutches if my professor didn’t intervene.
Honored coming from you. Just a caveman who has hurt myself too many times.
Don’t be afraid to be that guy here. This is an area where hiring a coach makes so much sense. I just read and read and found a plan that I thought would work… and it did! I cut exactly the weight I needed to in the right time. I just didn’t fully appreciate how impactful manipulating your bodies chemistry can be. It’s something I wouldn’t do any different. In the end, i followed the plan, realized the issue and drank as much as possible before the fight, hurt myself and figured out a way to still manage.
Now, I must take 3-4weeks off, train differently and be ready to meet Jocko in Maine in five weeks.
Waiting for the video… but everyone said it was gnarly. I don’t have much recollection on getting hit in face. Just know it happened.
Sunday
Pull-ups and leg lifts
50
Incline bench
10x135
10x155
7x175
3x3x185
Seated OHP
3x3x135
Lateral raises
3x20
Bicep curls
3x20
Tricep ext
3x20
Monday
Day off and belt promotion. Officially got my blue today.
I remember when Kevin Oak (world class powerlifter) did his big weight cuts before meets, he would be doing IV drips post weigh in, in addition to drinking as much as possible.
I watched this video (have never done any weight cutting) just because it was so fascinating:
Absolutely EARNED that belt. Outstanding dude!
100% agree with that. The older you get, the harder it is for the body to recover. Given how…focused!..you seem to be, a more detached perspective is great. Plus, you can’t IV yourself lol!
Congratulations! And thanks for the detailed match breakdowns!
Congratulations on blue dude! That’s a big step! 100% earned and deserved.
VR
