Quote (iceT @ Nov 5 2009 04:59pm)
I have a question about fighters
how can you tell if (imagine there are 2 fighters in the octagon? cage. etc)
how can you tell if, one fighter who has obviously covered some muscle groups under his body, well, over those muscle is fat. To store, burn and give energy during say for example the 11th round in a 12 round boxing match, or for another example the 4th round of the 5th round ufc fight. etc.
so you kind of get a picture of what I'm trying to ask, the background anyway. I am one of these people who do not read, who do not care what happened before/after or injury or whatever happened, I am the type of person who looks at the fighter entering the "venue", for ex. staples center or las vegas casinos, etc. etc.
I will watch them enter, watch their physique and try to conclude the winner by comparing the two because I think the day before or so, they have the weigh in, and all of this cutting/bulking and gaining etc is another sport from mma, or training it's really unbelievable to see so many competitors who have no serious health problems and mental stress from this alone.
I've gone off the track for a while but mainly what I'm concerned with or would like another opinion is this, "with 2 fighters entering the same weight class in a fight" let's say the same height for this instance of question, I am skeptical on how to be able to "tell" the difference between loose muscle under fat, and lean muscle under fat
How can you tell the difference, I am looking for any hints.
basically if you lift weight this is a simple question to answer I hope.
this would also be as if in my mind, at least, would be like comparing one person who lifts from 3 to 5 to 10 to 15 to 20 to 25, in say five or ten reps per, however he does only rep it twice, now his muscle is growing big rapidly, and then after that cover the muscle with fat, for storing energy to burn while heavy hiit training, sparing or in a fight for example in short, "the later rounds".
now imagine his buddy who is same height goes to gym, who lifts from 3 to 5 to 10 to 15 to 20 to 25 in say ten or twenty reps, however he does more reps, around three reps, now his muscle is much more leaner and not growing big rapidly but reducing "mass", maybe he also swims, does more cardio etc. And then after that cover the muscle with fat, for storing energy to burn while heavy hiit training, sparing or in a fight for example in short, "the later rounds".
I'm giving myself a headache here, how can you tell the difference between two 175lb fighter at 6", if they both have similar build or similar muscle group growth,
so, the question is how can you tell if one guy has lean muscle under his fat
or, if the other guy has "massive" muscle under his fat
is this a legit question?
Hello -
I can help answer this for you in the best most condensed way possible:
1. To determine how much muscle is laying dormant under fat, one must first understand how muscle and fat is distributed across the body. Muscle is attached to bones via the tendons and is used to support and control the skeleton. Fat is either intra-muscular (interspersed throughout the muscle) or subcutaneous (just below the skin).
2. With this in mind, if you see a fighter with a clear indication of fat on the outside of his body, and no visible muscle groups, pay close attention to a few telltale signs. When he walks, stretches, and warms up prior to the match...do you notice major muscle groups start to twitch or pump? If you notice vascularity increasing in a specific area, this is also a sign of underlying muscle development. However, if none of these are present...I would assume the lean mass is very slight and not nearly as developed as the fatty mass. If you look at Sumo wrestlers...even with their massively fat frames, you can still CLEARLY see muscular development in the upper legs, chest, and arms...especially as they warm up or begin a match.
3. If you do in fact notice muscular pump, twitches, or vascularity - you can start paying attention to the most important muscle groups for fighters...example would be the upper legs, chest, forearms, and triceps. If you see these muscle groups in a larger proportion to the other groups he may have trained specifically for fighting vs a guy who's developed all around (or not developed at all)
4. Lastly, if you simply want a good gauge of how much muscle is hidden underneath fatty tissue, the best bet is to use a visual gauge + the weigh in. Here is a good scale to use:
[5'0 - 5'3] = 12% body fat = approx 125 lbs for an average 25yr old male (light muscular training)
[5'4 - 5'7] = 12% body fat = approx 145 lbs for an average 25yr old male (light muscular training)
[5'8 - 5'10] = 12% body fat = approx 165 lbs for an average 25 yr old male (light muscular training)
5'11 - 6'1] = 12% body fat = approx 185 lbs for an average 25 yr old male (light muscular training)
[6'2 - 6'5] = 12% body fat = approx 215 lbs for an average 25 yr old male (light muscular training)
Notice that after 6'2 the weight goes up, this is because at a certain point of height, the skeleton begins to have increased density compared to shorter heights. there is a lot of argument and research about this, so I am playing it close to the fence on this one.
So if you notice a fighter who is say...6'0 exactly and 225 lbs and appears fat....consider this 12-15% bf is "average looking" and a 6'0 male with 12% bf is approx 185-190 lbs...that leaves 35 lbs to fat and additional muscle. If he appears to be say 20% bodyfat (just take a look online for some examples of this) - you will mathematically add for fat.
example: 20% body fat on a 170 lb male can be configured as 34 lbs of fat.
so if your fighter appears to be 20% body fat @ 225 lbs (6' tall) - thats 40 lbs of fat...when a 12% bf 6'0 male should be 23 lbs of fat...which means that there is a difference of 17 lbs of fat. however, the difference in weight between the average male @ 6'0 and 185-190 lbs @ 12% bf and the fighter who is 6'0, 225 lbs, and 20% bf = 35 lbs. That means 17 lbs of that is fat...and the other 18 lbs is a combination of water/muscle/bone.
I hope this helps!