UFC Veteran Joe “Diesel” Riggs Wins RITC Main Event

Congratulations to Ikei Performance Athlete Joe “Diesel” Riggs on his win over Matt Dempsey in the Middleweight Main Event at this past weekends Rage in the Cage held in Prescott, AZ. Read “Joe Riggs wins in RITC 112 main event” article on mmajunkie.com Veteran fighter Joe Riggs (28-10) picked up a victory -- his first in nearly 10 months -- at this past weekend's Rage in the Cage event. Riggs defeated Team Miletich fighter Matt Dempsey (1-1) with a rear-naked choke at 1:47 of the second round. The middlweight main event capped off Saturday's 20-fight "RITC 112" event at the Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz. The event drew an announced attendance of more than 4,000. Read entire article on mmajunkie.com…

Take a walk with Joe into the cage

Article Video - Building a Champion, Phase 3: Maximal Strength

This is the third installment of a four part series on our unique and proven system for producing the very best athletes.

Four Phase Approach for Elite Athletes
Phase 1: Structural Phase
Phase 2: Functional Hypertrophy
Phase 3: Maximal Strength
Phase 4: Power

This third installment will be focused on increasing the athlete’s strength, Phase 3 – Maximal Strength. This phase will focus on increasing lower body strength with an introduction to improving lower body power. It is important to follow the strict guidelines for the technique and rest intervals. Nutrition and supplementation, especially pre & post workout nutrition, plays a large role in building muscle. In this article we will be focusing on the exercise portion.

Maximal Strength
If you were following our programs closely, you should now be in a stage where your lower body function is prepared for greater loading parameters. At the same time, you should have packed on a few pounds of lean muscle mass on your lower body (assuming you have been following proper nutritional guidelines). By manipulating key variables and selecting the proper exercises we are able to increase strength in the major muscle groups within a very short period of time. This phase is critical and is the foundation for the last phase in this 12-week plan in preparation for the power phase. Our athletes tend to put on an average of 40 lbs on their bench press, 80 lbs on their squat and 30 lbs in their power snatch. Please note that we are training our athletes to be the best in their particular sport, therefore, how much they lift in the gym is not our primary goal but as they improve their gym strength overall performance in the game is maximized.

Basic Guidelines
Don’t forget the importance of Tempo, Rest, Sets & Repetition. Please refer to Part 1 of this installment from the last issue. However, please note that the tempo of several exercises is designed to be explosive in nature with minimal or no eccentric loading. Also note that the rest intervals are longer which may seem more then one needs but the realization of neurological recuperation is our goal. It is also important during this phase to challenge the loading parameters by continuing to progressively overload the bar if you complete all the designated repetitions for the designated exercise.

An individualized Program
This program is focused on improving hip extensor strength (lower back, glutes and hamstrings). Please note that the workout below is only 1 of 2 lower body programs our athletes perform in the weight room during the week and the entire program changes every 3 weeks. Our athletes will also be performing 2-4 days of energy system training through sprinting, agility drills, stadium stairs or strongman training to name a few, to enhance lower body conditioning and speed.

During this phase it is important for each athlete to choose the appropriate weight for each lift. These lifts require proper technique and can lead to injury if inappropriate weight selection and poor coaching is made. Before attempting this program it is advised to consult with a qualified professional. However, those of you who are qualified to perform these exercises remember this one phrase: “you will only get stronger when you lift heavier weights.” Select the appropriate weights and your goals should be to break your personal bests each time you workout.

A) Power Snatch Tempo = XXXX, rest = 120 sec, sets = 5, reps 4

B) Inertia Half Squat Tempo = 3-2-1-0, rest = 120 sec, sets = 5, reps 3

C1) Barbell Low Box Step-up Tempo = 2-0-1-0, rest = 90 sec, sets = 3, reps 6
C2) Glut-Ham Raise Tempo = 3-0-1-0, rest = 90 sec, sets = 3, reps 6

D) Pendulum Db RDL Tempo = 3-0-1-0, rest = 90 sec, sets = 2, reps 8

Note: The above exercises that are paired with an C1/C2 represents performing one exercise (C1) followed by the second exercise (C2) with the designated rest interval between each exercise. For more information on training programs, log onto www.ikeiperformance.com or email questions to info@ikeiperformance.com. Our next installment will cover Phase 4: Power.

A Look Behind the Scenes of an MMA Fighter - Day 4-5 (Weigh-in)

Thursday July 17, 2008
Up early as usual, but today is a great eating day for Edwin as this is his “carb loading day.” We’ve nailed his body down to a science where he feels “flat” after 3 days, so we timed his nutritional plan to carb load Thursday & Friday, so all his glycogen stores will be maximize by the time he steps into the ring. Ed’s body weight is right on point so he’ll heat a nice high carbohydrate breakfast followed with lot’s of water.

After breakfast we walked across the street to Best Buy to kill some time before the licensing briefing. Edwin spent extra time analyzing the big screen plasma’s while I looked at the tempting laptops. But after an hour of walking around we decided to head back to the hotel to prepare for the meeting.

Once again we sat in a room filled with MMA’s top fighters and the energy in the room greatly intensified from yesterday’s press conference. Guys that are cutting weight were getting impatient as we all sat in the room waiting one-by-one for the California Boxing Commission to brief each athlete and license every corner men. They obviously started from the top down with the main event fighters first then down to the swing bouts. Edwin is listed as bout number 5 so we had to wait for about 45 minutes before we were called up to certify. Once we got done it was time to go and put more carbs into Ed’s body so we headed upstairs and ordered room service as Ed took the time to take a quick power nap to revitalize before our last training session of the week.

After lunch and a nap Ed spent some quality time with his wife and son. “This is the best way for me to relax,” says Ed about spending time with his family. “Preparation for this fight is my priority, but my life is my family. I have the greatest wife and have been blessed with the pride of my life, Tycen (17 month old son). She understands exactly what I need and supports me in everything I do. There are many times that she keeps me on track and motivated when I lose my focus. Having them here is a way for me to get my mind of the fight and allow my body, mind and spirit be free.” Edwin & his family spent a brief time at the pool and Jacuzzi. “This is perfect, I get to spend time with my son, relax my muscles in the hot tub and my wife get’s to hang out by the pool. But we can’t be out here to long because Chad doesn’t want me in the sun for to long so I don’t get drained and my son get’s sunburned easily so it all works out.”

To see a young man have so much pride and unconditional love for his wife an family shows the maturity, strength and character behind this young man. As a coach this type of balance is necessary when developing a champion. Sometimes a coach has to cross that line and ask the question regarding the distractions a family can have on competition. I took that road with Edwin as soon as we started our game plan for the fight and realized that his strength comes from his family. Therefore we made sure that his family was going to be there for every workout possible up to the day he fights. However, Edwin also knows the importance of recovery and focus, therefore, although he is a true family man he and his family sleep in separate rooms until after the fight is done. This is a sign of discipline and will ensure success.

After family time, all fighters were scheduled to board the bus and head over to the Honda Center for a dress rehearsal for the media. We all met in the lobby and sat on the bus for about 30 minutes then the promoter came on the bus to notify us that the media was not ready for the dress rehearsal and would have to do it immediately after the weigh-ins tomorrow. So we jumped in the limo and had them take us to the No Limits MMA & Fitness Center for our last and final training session.

We had Ed do five six-minute rounds, 3 round of striking and 2 rounds of mat work. Edwin looked phenomenal, punches sharp, kicks hard and ground work is always exceptional. Some of the veteran fighters at the gym noticed Edwin in the gym and commented to me on how good he looked in every way. One fighter mentioned to me that he never new how explosive Edwin was and how fast his hands were. But almost every fighter I spoke to was impressed with how big and lean Edwin looked…he’s no longer a middleweight, look out light heavyweights because Edwin Dewees is going to be a name to be reckoned with in the near future.

After training we got back to the hotel and Edwin had to do 2 media interviews. The first was a radio interview which Edwin was joined by training partner Joe Riggs. This was by far the highlight of the day. Both these guys had everyone in the room balling with tears with stories upon stories. After about 25 minutes, we headed to the Television Talent Interview which was running behind so we decide to grab dinner first then return later.

We had the limo take us to Olive Garden, but right next to Olive Garden was a California Pizza Kitchen…one of Edwin’s favorites. So after asking permission from his coach (me) we headed to CPK for his carb loading dinner. Pizza? Yep, pizza. This was a huge boost for Edwin’s confidence for several reasons. First, usually during this time of the fight preparation Edwin would be barely moving from lack of nutrients from cutting all the weight he would usually lose. Secondly, pizza is a great cheat meal and to carb load (we experimented with this weeks before hand to see how his body would react and the response was very good). Finally, the emotional component of feeling satisfied through one of his senses, taste, is extremely gratifying and a good stress reliever. Although most scientific theory would consider this bad, the practical application of this results are unarguable.

Once we were done with dinner and Edwin was feeling happy with his meal selection we headed back to the hotel for the TV Talent interview. There we sat with legendary MMA Referee “Big” John McCarthy, MMA Fighter Frank Trigg (who Ed fought) and Jay Glazer. They asked Edwin question after question regarding his training, game plan, opponent, his thoughts on the organization and the fight. After 15 minutes of joking, laughing and serious talk we called it a night and headed back to the room. By this time it was 9:30 pm and time to settle down.

We headed to my room to review the training session today and go over the game plan for tomorrow’s weigh-in. We are right on track with weight and should only have to spend minimal time in the sauna tomorrow to make weight, but we won’t have to starve himself nor completely dehydrate his body. Edwin has been extremely disciplined and making weight should not be an issue.

Tomorrow is the big day, we have less than 2 days until the fight and preparation is almost over…then comes competition…battle…WAR! I hope Nogueira is ready for the fight of his life, because Dewees is going to be bringing it.


Friday July 18, 2008
I allowed Edwin sleep in a little longer than usual to minimize the time that he would have to starve & dehydrate himself through out the day. However, he is only 10 pounds overweight (215 lbs) from the night before so he should wake-up at around 5-6 pounds over first thing in the morning. After his wake-up call, we head downstairs to the weight check room and he weighs in at exactly 210 lbs. This is at 9:00 am which means he has enough time to eat breakfast and drink a little water before we head over to the sauna to drop the remaining weight.

Unfortunately the hotel does not have a sauna so we had to head over to a nearby LA Fitness to use their sauna. As we started to head over to LA Fitness by foot-mobile, Mike Whitehead and his entourage was heading that way as well so they offered us a ride and we all piled into his pick-up truck all 10 of us. The entire back of the truck was full of training equipment and luggage so 3 people had to sit on the open tailgate of the truck as we drove along the road. Luckily we didn’t get stopped by law enforcement or lose anyone to a quick turn or bump in the road…but hey, their tough guys so I’m sure they’d be alright if they fell out onto the road.

We got to LA Fitness in one piece but realized they only had a wet sauna (steam room). This is not the best method to lose the water weight necessary as compared to a dry sauna, but this is all they had so we made due. After an hour and a half of shadow boxing in the sauna and being wrapped up in blankets and towels like a mummy, we got down to our desired weight, but wasn’t exactly sure if we were accurate because they didn’t have a calibrated scale so we had to use a home bathroom scale that we had approximated the difference between the official scale and the bathroom scale. By this time it was 12:45 pm and we had to head back over to the hotel to get ready to board the bus for the Honda Center for the official weigh-ins that was scheduled to leave at 1:30 pm.

Well, Edwin was feeling a little exhausted and the walk back to the hotel wasn’t going to happen because he felt like passing out, so I had to waive down some people to hitch a ride back to the hotel. We tried calling a cab but it was a 30 minute wait which would be cutting it close. So after a few shutdowns from not so friendly people, one helpful young man agreed to give us a ride. He looked a little worried at first because there were 6 of us that stoop up when he said he’ll give me a ride back, but he only had room for 3 so Edwin, myself and Joe Riggs jumped in the car while the other guys walked back to the hotel. The guy was still a little edgy but who wouldn’t be when you got 2 scary guys in the back seat that beat people up for a living.

When we got back to the hotel, someone removed the scale for us to recheck Edwin’s weight with the calibrated scale so I was a little upset but could do nothing about it so we just cleaned Edwin up and then got into the bus which took us to the Honda Center. Once we got to the Honda Center, there were over a thousand fans on hand to witness these warriors weigh-in for their respective weight divisions.

First we checked in and was escorted to the waiting room where all athletes hung out waiting for the pre-fight medical evaluation and anti-doping testing. This was a long waiting process for Edwin and all fighters that had to cut weight. We sat around for about 2 hours before finally being called out to weigh-in.

Once Edwin’s name was called by the usher, we were escorted to the main stage where the official scale stood in front of the media and thousand screaming fans. This was it, all the hard work to get down to 205 is now going to be official. It was amazing, the voice of Michael Buffer called out “Babyface Edwin Dewees of Scottsdale, Arizona.” The crowed went crazy people screaming as Edwin stepped forward onto the scale. Edwin stood still as flashes from camera’s went off. Man he looked chiseled, a lean muscular fighter stood in front of the MMA world to show them that he is not to small to fight at 205, in fact he dwarfed Nogueira in muscularity. Buffer loudly spoke out the official weight of Edwin “205 pounds.” After Nogueira was called up to weigh which he weighed in at 205 pounds as well, both fighters stood at a face off which you could see a slight height difference going to Nogueira but Edwin looked much more muscular and leaner of the two. He did it, we were right on point and half the battle was done. I have to admit, as his coach a sigh of relief was let out as I could feel a bit of the pressure as well.

Check out the video of Edwin’s weigh in click on the links here:

http://www.afflictionclothing.com/banned_july19/

http://www.mma-core.com/videos/_Affliction__Banned_Weight_In__2_2_?vid=10000878&tid=107

As soon as Edwin walked off the stage he already had a water bottle in hand and gulped it up with out a breath. Bottle after bottle with some electrolytes and amino acids helped rehydrate and revitalize Edwin’s depleted body. He also didn’t waste time stuffing down a turkey sandwich in a blink of an eye. With a big smile on Edwin’s face he turned to me and says “thanks coach, we did it.” Words to my ears, but in reality it was Edwin that did it and I’m very proud of his accomplishment.

We had a huge surprise at the weigh-ins. Donald Trump stopped by the weigh-ins to help announce the main event fighters. Mr. Trump is involved with Affliction and will be a huge impact on the sport with his presence. It was pretty cool to see the business man himself at an MMA Fight weigh-in, but the man came straight off the golf course ( he still had his spikes on) to take part in the event. To me it was a huge treat as Mr. Trump has accomplished so much as an entrepreneur and business man, and has helped motive myself to pursue my business goals.

After a long and drawn out weigh-in the fighters had to perform a dress rehearsal of how the event is going to run for television. By the time we got out of the Honda Center it was time for dinner but Edwin was behind on meals so it was basically a late lunch. So we headed to TGI Fridays where he got to eat a satisfying meal of his choice…buffalo boneless chicken with fries. Well, he didn’t eat one serving…he ate 2 plates full. Once again a smile on his face from ear to ear. We headed back to the hotel to settle down and watch more video’s. Next thing we know it was time to eat dinner and back to a high carb meal to prepare for tomorrow.

What a long day for a fighter, but once it’s over now the real battle is only a “sleep away.” Tomorrow we prepare for battle, from the time we wake up until Michael Buffer calls out to Edwin “Let’s get ready to RUMMMMMMMMMBLE!”

A Look Behind the Scenes of an MMA Fighter - Day 1-3

Professional Strength & Conditioning Coach Chad Ikei goes behind the scenes with Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Edwin “Bam Bam” Dewees at the Affliction-Banned event in Anaheim, CA. Coach Ikei will periodically report on the daily events a fighter goes through the week leading up to the fight.

Introduction
I’ve been a strength coach for over 10 years and have worked with all forms of athletes from the professional to the beginner. But never have I witnessed such intense individuals as MMA fighters. The hours of work needed to put into developing their skills is astronomical, but then you have to add in their strength training, conditioning and recuperative training…now you’re talking about training as a lifestyle. As this sport continues to grow you will see less and less of the old school mentality of running miles and miles to get in shape and performing thousands and thousands of kicks and punches to build fighting endurance. The game is changing and you will see more explosive, stronger and conditioned athletes that can go round after round, making the world of fighting sports exciting and wanting more.

When I was asked by Edwin to travel with him and help work his corner during the fight it was an honor and privilege for me to accompany him. As I drove home after our final training session that evening I thought about how exciting this moment would be for Edwin and myself, being a part of one of the biggest MMA fight cards ever, so I called Edwin and said if it was alright with him I’d like to keep a simple journal of the events that go on behind the scenes of an MMA fight. Edwin agreed and thought it would be fun to educate the fans on the challenge during the week of the fight. So we begin our journey 5 days before the actual fight takes place and I’ll keep updates on each day. Hope our readers enjoy “A Look Behind the scenes of an MMA Fighter.”

Sunday July 13, 2008
All the training has been done and now we have the toughest battle ahead…the waiting game. This is the hardest part of the training program, mental preparation. Insecurities can haunt an athlete during this period of the program. Questions like “Have I done enough cardio? Did I work my ground game enough? Are my hands quick enough? Am I strong enough?” the list can go on and on if you are not confident in your preparation. Even when you are confident in your training, the down time can drive an athlete crazy because you go from training 4-6 hours a day to 1-3 hours tops, the week of competition. Then you have the battle of making weight for those athletes that have to cut to their respective weight classes, which majority of the fighters have to do if they are not in the heavyweight division. Some athletes will drop 40 pounds to make a specific weight class and some of them will do it with minimal time (2-3 weeks).

I have instructed Edwin to wake up at his usual time 6:30 am to keep his internal clock consistent as his daily training routine. This is a day for him to spend with his family and try to focus as much as possible on being a husband and father. However, I did request that he take 90 minutes to roll around, break a sweat, get loose and perform his visualization training. He also has a scheduled power nap between 30-50 minutes sometime after lunch. I think he must have called me between 8-10 times that day and exchanged countless text messages in anticipation for an early morning flight from Phoenix to LA.

As night fall comes around, Edwin once again is instructed to keep on his sleeping pattern and go to bed no later then 10:30 pm. He is reminded to pack all his fighting essentials, as it is common for an athlete to be “in the zone” during the week of the fight and completely forget what to pack and were they need to be. In fact, Edwin calls me at 9:30 pm at night and tells me that he had to run to the store to purchase some groceries for his wife and doesn’t remember what store he went and how he got there and back, as his mind was focused on his fight and his strategies. This is a good sign…thankful he got home safely, but inspiring to know how focused he is going into the fight.



Monday July 14, 2008
Edwin and I are scheduled for an early flight leaving Phoenix at 7:20 am, therefore, Edwin needs to leave his house at 5:30 am to get him there in time for check-in as his commute is 30 minutes away from the airport. That means he had to wake up at 5:00 am in order to make breakfast and eat it in the car ride to the airport.

Edwin and I meet up at the airport and are given VIP treatment through one of his teammates wife who works with the airlines. Our bags are checked and we get to the gate with plenty of time to spare. During the flight several MMA fans come up to Edwin to ask for autographs and pictures which he kindly oblige.

From the moment we arrive (8:45 am), we are greeted by an Affliction representative who takes our bags and brings us directly from the airport to the medical facilities where Edwin will go through a comprehensive medical evaluation. This was a long day for Edwin and myself.



We drive for 45 minutes through LA traffic to San Pedro Medical Center to visit with Affliction’s medical team. Edwin checks in and has to fill out a ton of medical papers, not the normal medical visit paperwork the average person fills out, but pages upon pages of documents. We then are sent on a wild goose hunt from one office to another to get his blood drawn, we literally had to walk from one building past 4 other buildings to another complex up the stairs just to get his blood drawn, then walk back to the main office. Then we were sent to another building where Edwin had to have an eye screening, which included getting his eyes dilated. It was back to the main office and then sent to a third building to have a physical and neurological screening. Finally, we went to the fourth building to perform an EKG to ensure his heart was in functional condition…which it was with a pulse rate of 41 beats per minute after a brief warm-up.

By the time we were done with all the medical evaluations it was 2:30 pm and all Edwin had to eat was breakfast. We were then shuttled to the Affliction Clothing warehouse where we were like 2 kids in a candy store. Boxes and boxes of Affliction Clothing was everywhere stacked to the ceiling. The executive staff came out to introduce themselves to Edwin and then one of the owners came down to show Edwin around and made sure Edwin and myself were taken care of with Affliction Clothing. This was incredible, all the new Affliction gear and we could pick out what we wanted…it was like Christmas in July. The people here were incredibly nice.

After we stocked ourselves up with Affliction gear, we were taken to the hotel (Doubletree) where Edwin had to check-in and pick-up his perdiem money along with his information welcome packet. By this time we were starving and went to eat a late lunch at 4:30 pm. Edwin’s weight is right on target so he will continue to refeul his body as needed. After our late lunch we return to the hotel for a quick power nap, 20 minutes tops. At 8:00 pm we grap a snack for Edwin and head over to LA Fitness to get a quick strength training workout in before the night is over. We then grab some dinner on the way back to the hotel and shut it down a little late at 11:30 pm.

Tuesday July 15, 2008
Edwin receives my wake up call at 7:30 am an hour later then usual since we went to bed a little late. We get downstairs and check his weight before we head to the hotel restaurant. As we enter the restaurant we see Pedro Rizzo eating with his corner men. Edwin and I try to keep to ourselves as he is not here to socialize and make friends but to go to battle, so we get a table in the corner and quietly eat breakfast. We head back upstairs to our room and go over his sparring the weeks before to review his game plan and prepare for his training session in the afternoon.

After 2 hours of watching film, we take a walk over to the mall to take a mental break from the fight. We have fun people watching and enjoy a nice sushi lunch at The Block at Orange Mall. We then spend some time reading some books at Borders before we head back to the hotel to meet up with teammate and corner man Joe Riggs.



At 5:30 pm we head over to No Limits MMA & Fitness Center to do some mitt work and grappling. Edwin and Joe go at it for 75 minutes. Edwin’s hands are looking crisp and powerful and his ground game is explosive. On the way back to the hotel we stop to get some dinner. Back at the hotel we head down to the Jacuzzi and pool to do some contrast heat and cold training. By this time Edwin is relaxed and ready for bed. Tomorrow we have a long day with the media as a press conference is scheduled for 9-12 pm for all fighters and corner men. That means we need to be up early eat breakfast and get loose before we leave for the hotel.

Wednesday July 16, 2008
We were up and eating breakfast by 7:45 am. Edwin’s weight is right on track and he can eat consistently without starving himself like his usual fights at 185. All fighters and corner men were in the lobby to board the bus by 9:15am. It was a typical LA traffic driving experience as we rode in the bus for over an hour and a half to get to the Century Plaza Hotel in Beverly Hills. However, it was very entertaining as we got to sit and exchange stories with Tim Sylvia and Mike Whitehead during the commute. Both guys were hilarious and nice people.



Upon arrival at Century Plaza it was a media frenzy for all the MMA fighters. Photographers, TV cameras and fans were there to greet the fighters. As both buses were unloaded, many of them were stopped by fans for autographs and pictures which everyone seemed to enjoy.

A first class press conference was held and what an amazing event this fight is going to be. There sat some of the best MMA fighters in history and they all will be fighting on one card. All 22 fighters were introduced and one by one they came up and gave a brief speech in front of the cameras. Every single athlete new this was a special event and gave thanks and praise to the Affliction family for putting together such a great event and stated that they each will put on a performance like no other event has done before. The excitement and anticipation was deep and could feel the energy building with each athlete that approached the podium. By the time Fedor and Sylvia approached the microphone every media person in there jumped up and started snapping picture after picture.



After this long yet exciting press conference was over, we took our starving bodies to eat a late lunch at 2:45 pm. We then headed back to No Limit MMA & Fitness Center for an hour long training session for Edwin. Joe Riggs who is Edwin’s long time training partner and close friend helped put Edwin through some mitt work as well as focused on explosive kicks. Ed and Joe finished up their workout with some grappling and submission techniques. At the end, I took Edwin through 30 minutes of some flexibility work, opening his hips and posterior chain. By the end of the session it was time to head back to the hotel for a shower and then off to dinner.



We had planned to go to the movie theatre but after dinner Edwin didn’t feel like going as he felt his body was feeling a little flat, so we decided to stay in the hotel and go over his strategy and review footage of his training and opponent. After an hour’s worth of analyzing film, Edwin wanted to settle down and watch one of the movies on TV, so we tuned in and watched Will Smith’s “I am Legend.” A great movie and a nice way to end the evening.

Tune if for more updates as the week continues…the show is only 3 days away with weigh-ins 2 days and counting.

Ikei Performance Athlete Edwin “Bam Bam” Dewees prepares to fight July 19, 2008 at Affliction-Banned

It has been a grueling month for Ikei Performance Mixed Martial Arts Athlete, Edwin “Bam Bam” Dewees. After a dominating first round win and being crowned the Heavyweight Champion at the No Limits Fighting Championships back in late April, Dewees received a phone call from promoters of the newly formed Affliction-Banned. With a last minute notification from the events promoter, Dewees took on this fight with only 5 weeks notice. Affliction Clothing has become one of the hottest clothing apparel on the market and is now organized one of the most stacked fight cards in MMA history.

“It is a huge honor to have been given the opportunity to compete at one of the biggest fights in MMA history. I’ve been working extremely hard and am ready to show my skills to the world that I belong here amongst the best in the industry. I’ve changed my entire life over the past 4 months since training with Ikei Performance and have prepared myself in every aspect of the game: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually,” remarks Dewees.



For the past month, Dewees has been training on another level. “Edwin has taken on a whole new approach to his game plan. He has always been a talented fighter, but had never had a team as solid as he does today. With the Lion’s Den behind his MMA Skills and Ikei Performance pushing his intensity during his strength and conditioning the world of MMA is in for a rude awakening. A lot of people are questioning the match-up between Edwin and Nogueira, saying Ed’s to small to fight at light heavy weight. Well, most of the MMA world hasn’t seen the new and improved Edwin Bam Bam Dewees. Just tune in to the Fox Sports Net portion of the fight and see for yourself,” comments Edwin’s Strength & Conditioning Coach, Chad Ikei.

According to Ikei, Dewees has been training intensely between 4-6 hours every day. “For the past month we have laid out a calendar for Edwin to follow from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed. We have every meal laid out for him, every training session mapped out and even down to his nap times. MMA is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world, therefore we must prepare Edwin for extreme conditions. Our program has a strong emphasis on developing his functional strength and power, but a lot of time is spent on his ability to tolerate work at high loads for long duration. The average human being would not even come close to what Edwin does day in and day out. In fact, I’ve had several of my NFL Athletes go through modified (scaled down) version of Ed’s conditioning program and they struggle to finish the program. It just goes to show how well conditioned Ed is for this fight. When he started our program Edwin was fat at 18.8% and now only several weeks later he's down to 8.81%, he lost over 24 pounds of useless body fat and packed on over 12 pounds of functional muscle. He's completely prepared for the fight in all forms of the game.”



Dewees recalls some of the more interesting training methods that Ikei utilizes to prepare him for his battle, “He tried to drown me. No kidding, the guy is crazy he literally tried to drown me. He had me wear a 40 pound vest in his pool that is 8 feet deep, go to the bottom of the pool and grab a 55 lb kettle bell, make me lift it several times, put it down and throw punches all while holding my breath under water. Oh yeah, not to mention I had to wear a mask so I could only breath through my mouth. If that’s not enough, he decides to jump in the pool with me and tries to choke me out while I’m under the water too. Then when I try to come up for air he pushes or pulls me back under the water. He has me do this for over half an hour. I’m serious Ikei is crazy, but it works because I feel great. In fact, today at the pre-fight medical evaluation my resting pulse was 41 beats per minute which really impressed the doctor especially because that was after jumping around and shadow boxing for 5 minutes.”

Edwin’s training program is very unconventional. The use of large tractor tires, sledgehammers, sand bags, chains, bands, ropes…the list goes on according to Dewees. “Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Ikei comes up with some crazy exercise that I’ve never seen or even imagined. I sometimes ask him if he just sits down and dream about developing crazy exercises. But every time I perform each exercise I can truly feel the benefits of the program, even my teammates notice the difference.”

Ikei chuckles at the fact Dewees calls him crazy, “it’s a compliment.” Actually it’s the second greatest compliment, the first being the results his athletes get from the program. “I love what I do and as a coach it’s not about me, my program or how crazy an exercise is, it’s about them, my athletes. I’m here to help guide them to the next level. They’re the ones doing all the work, putting in the hours, grinding through the pain and coming back over and over again to get themselves better. All I’m doing is providing structure, balance and support for them to believe in themselves and their ability to become the best. My philosophy for every athlete is that if they give me 100% effort, discipline and honesty, I will always step forward and accept the blame for my athletes failures and step back and allow them acknowledgement upon their success. So when Edwin‘s hand is raised as the champion that will be my biggest compliment.”

So don’t miss this opportunity to witness one of the greatest fight cards in MMA history. Coming this Saturday, July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA the popular clothing line Affliction Clothing is hosting Affliction: Banned. There are 11 fights scheduled on this fight card with the main event of the evening between Fedor Emelienenko vs. Tim Sylvia for the Heavyweight Championship Title. Fight card: Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell, Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo, Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao, Renato Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead, Mike Pyle vs. JJ Ambrose, Aleksander Emelienenko vs. Paul Buentello, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees, Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin, Ray Lizama vs. Justin Levens, Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick. There will be 2 fights aired on Fox Sports Net (FSN) which Edwin Dewees is scheduled to fight, the main event along 4 other fights will be aired live on Pay-Per View. Visit the website at http://www.afflictionclothing.com/banned_july19/fight_card.php

Ikei Performance Athletes Attends 301st Military Intelligence Battalion Mobilization Ceremony

Ikei Performance Athletes were present at the Mobilization Ceremony for the 301st Military Intelligence Battalion held Tuesday July 8, 2008 at the Arizona National Guard’s Armory. Over 100 brave men and women will be deployed for one year to Southwest Asia in support of the Global War on Terror. Governor Janet Napolitano as well as many other Arizona leaders was on site to bid farewell and a safe return to these warriors. Ikei Performance Athletes Travis Laboy (Arizona Cardinals), Scott Peters (Arizona Cardinals), JD Runnels (Chicago Bears) and 6-time World Kick Boxing Champion Rick “Jet” Roufus (Lion’s Den) was there to support the troops and wish them farewell with pictures and autographs.

Ikei Performance is honored to be a part of the 301st Military Intelligence Battalion Mobilization Ceremony and wish all the troops and their families a warm Aloha and will pray for their safe return. We thank all our brave military warriors for protecting our country, families and freedom.

ARTICLE VIDEO - Building a Champion, Phase 2: Functional Hypertrophy

Building a Champion one Phase at a time Part 2 – Functional Hypertrophy Phase

This is the second installment of a 4 part series on our unique and proven system for producing the very best athletes.

Four Phase Approach for Elite Athletes
Phase 1: Structural Phase
Phase 2: Functional Hypertrophy
Phase 3: Maximal Strength
Phase 4: Power

In this second installment we will be focusing on increasing lean muscle mass, Phase 2 - The Functional Hypertrophy Phase. This phase will focus on increasing lower body mass (specifically hip extensors) with an introduction to improving leg strength. It is important to follow the strict guidelines for the technique and rest intervals. Nutrition and supplementation, especially pre & post workout nutrition, plays a large role in building muscle. In this article we will be focusing on the exercise portion.

Phase 2 - Functional Hypertrophy The increase in functional lean muscle mass and strength will help you to minimize injuries later in the season, due to the more solid structure surrounding joints, tendons, and other tissues. Most athletes fear gaining too much muscle mass because they believe that they will lose range of motion (flexibility/mobility) and speed. By executing optimal range of motion with each exercise and supplementing strength training with an intelligent stretching protocol as well as sports specific practices, we have found that this misconception is irrelevant. At the same time, as we prepare our athletes through each phase their relative strength improves which allows every athlete to generate a greater amount of force with each stride, actually improving an athletes speed, even at a heavier body weight.

Basic Guidelines Don’t forget the importance of Tempo, Rest, Sets & Repetition. Please refer to Part 1 of this installment.

An individualized Program
This program is focused on improving hip extensor strength (lower back, glutes and hamstrings). Please note that the workout below is only 1 of 2 lower body programs our athletes perform in the weight room during the week and the entire program changes every 3 weeks. Our athletes will also be performing 2-4 days of energy system training through sprinting, agility drills, stadium stairs or strongman training to name a few, to enhance lower body conditioning and speed.

A1) 1 ¼ Back Squat Tempo = 4-0-1-0, rest = 90 sec, sets = 4, reps 6-8
A2) Lying Leg Curl Tempo = 4-0-1-0, rest = 90 sec, sets = 4, reps 6-8

B1) Snatch Grip High Pull Tempo = XXXX, rest = 10 sec, sets = 3, reps 4-6
B2) Dynamic Barbell Lunges Tempo = 2-0-1-0, rest = 90 sec, sets = 3, reps 6-8 (alternating each leg)

C) Weighted Back Extension Tempo = 3-0-1-2, rest = 90 sec, sets = 3, reps 8-10

Note: The above exercises that are paired with an A1/A2 represents performing one exercise (A1) followed by the second exercise (A2) with the designated rest interval between each exercise. For more information on training programs, log onto www.ikeiperformance.com or email questions to info@ikeiperformance.com. Our next installment will cover Phase 3: Maximal Strength.