Sander V.'s Blog (39)

A little more about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at our Define Defense studio:



Our No Gi Jiu Jitsu Classes



My main background in martial arts is stand up fighting and self defense (for almost 19 years now). I have also been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since 2008. For the first three years, I only practiced with the gi, based on Gracie Jiu Jitsu.



Before opening Define Defense, I met Drew (our BJJ…

Part 1of our Periodization workshop on 1/18/12:

Multilateral Physical Development



Different people have different objectives of training. Some may train for a healthier body, others may want to break their own records and become stronger and some want to compete to test themselves with others.



No matter what your objective is, every athlete should work on their multilateral physical…

Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is the muscle soreness most people start feeling 12-24 hours after a workout. During your workout, the burn you feel is caused by buildup of lactate, generated by anaerobic energy systems in your body which supply your muscles with energy (ATP).



DOMS however, is not caused by lactate. Instead, it is caused by micro damage in your muscles, especially after weight training, sprints, plyometrics etc. Physiologists used to believe the…

When is the best time for weight training and how much should you train? It's a question that probably has been asked millions of times. It is a great question though. After all, if you put the time and effort in, you want to make sure that you reap the maximum benefits of it.



The answer is very difficult though. It depends on your physiological state, how much you have been working out, what your goals are etc. it is more important to understand the basics so you are more…

What defines being in shape? Is it something universal we all test ourselves up against or is it subjective? Will the same person be considered in shape if he/she goes to Portugal vs. China, Colorado vs. Connecticut? I don’t think so. The opinions are very subjective and in different places, you will be assessed differently. 



It will also depend what sport or workouts you specialize in. Are you a lifter or an avid runner and who do you compare yourself against?



If you…

Cross training is one of the best ways to get in shape while working pretty much all of your muscle groups. If done right, you can accomplish different goals by training in different ways. You will get stronger, faster and your cardio will improve. By fine tuning your cross training workout, you can also lose weight or gain muscle (or both).



The way we do cross training at Define Defense in our strength and conditioning classes is by working all muscle groups with short rests…

Milk has been promoted for ages to be a great supplier of calcium, necessary for bone growth and strength. The truth is, there are better food sources than milk but it is readily available, inexpensive and still a good product.



What you rarely hear people talking about is drinking milk for muscle growth and recovery after a workout. There is a movement out there that promotes low fat chocolate milk for a post workout drink and it's great for certain sports and athletes! It has…

Join us on this seminar from 6-9pm and learn more about 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. The seminar will be taught by Matthias Sieber. 



Matthias has his own 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu school in Hamburg, Germany (Sportschule Hamburg) and these are his records: 



1st Place South German Championship BJJ 2006 -64 kg 

3rd Place German No Gi Championships 2006 -67 kg 

2nd Place Tap or Snap 2007 -70 kg 

2nd Place German Championships Luta Livre…

Often, martial arts is stigmatized with negative actions or behaviors.  This is caused by media, the film industry, certain professional or amateur fighters etc.  However, in this blog article, I would like to prove that this should not be generalized and it does not have to be this way.



Originally, martial arts was developed to increase the chance of survival.  Later on, it started to be used as a sport, in competition, as an art form and more.  Mostly, the code of honor and…

As you know, there are a lot of different styles of martial arts which you can practice.  Some studios offer a very traditional practice, which is great for the art and philosophy but is not necessarily effective anymore.  Then other gyms offer cardio kickboxing, which is a fantastic workout but martial arts wise you will learn as much as playing Kung Fu video games.  Then there are MMA gyms, a style that has been proven to be highly effective in competition (although that does not mean it…

• All Define Defense adult members receive a $75 gift card and a 15% discount for all products at Max Muscle
• Max Muscle customers can enjoy a 10% discount off services and programs at Define…

As a martial arts and fitness fanatic (maybe sometimes even too meticulously), I try to read and find as much information as I can.  Some of my favorites are ‘Essentials of strength training and conditioning’ of the Human Kinetics series or ‘Periodization‘ by Tudor Bompa etc.  Part of my reading includes magazine subscriptions as well, which are often good resources and enjoyable to read - that is if you can keep a critical eye while weeding through all the correct and incorrect…

I wanted to dedicate this post to explaining more about belt ranks in martial arts (and yes, also to show off our own belt rank system...)

For a very long time, there were no colored belt ranks in martial arts.  Judo was the first art that introduced colored belts to indicate ranks.  Knowing that Judo originated in the late 19th century, the colored belt rank system is a rather new development in martial…

At Define Defense, we strive towards incorporating the best and most effective training methods into our lesson strategies and training sessions.  We use both traditional and alternative equipment and techniques.  One of these unorthodox machines we use is the vibration plate.

Vibration training actually increases the frequency of the muscle contraction.  On the plate your muscles will contract 30-50 times per second, which increases the…