UnderGround Forum >> What does Cain's diet look like?

genetics.. guys like overeem/jds can eat whatever they want and still be thick, solid, tight... even with peds cain would never look physically as impressive as jds or overeem

Steve4192 - 

PoundforPound - That's an interesting theory. More fat = more stamina.

Roy Nelson is a bit of a cardio machine too isn't he?

 

Obviously, there is a point of diminishing returns where lugging around the extra body mass saps your cardio, but a moderate layer of fat does not impede performance.  There is no reason for a HW who weighs well under 265 to get shredded. 

 

Would a guy do better in a fight in terms of speed, cardio, etc, if he were wearing a 10lb weight vest or if he took the vest off? How would carrying an extra 10lb of fat be different? edit: digitdigit beat me to it

"Go take a look at the physiques of marathon runners"

I must be missing all the fat?

By the way I think the fat probably does serve some purpose. I assume that as with Fedor, Cain thinks carrying extra weight gives him more weight to put into his punches and gives him more weight to lean on guys or smother them with, and make it harder for him to be muscled around himself. These guys are not lazy, they must feel there is some advantage or I assume they'd take care of it.

Kostakio -

gooddoc -

That looks fucking good.

The reason Cain doesn't get shredded because shredded in fighting isn't good. To have and overly defined musculature causes problems in long-form athletes. Football players, for example, are short burst athletes. They play for 4-12 seconds at a time. Having the muscles that they have is great for explosiveness. But it isn't built to last. Fighters on the other hand have to use all of their muscles for 5 minutes at a time, 3-5 times. To have an extreme build doesn't serve a good purpose in that regard as muscles need oxygen, the more muscular, the more oxygen needed, the more tired you become. JDS got way more muscled for this fight, and due to that, when he got rocked, he couldn't recover as well. He couldn't bring in enough oxygen to feed his muscles AND recover. Cain on the other hand is a little on the softer side, his muscles don't require as much oxygen, it's the reason his cardio is so good. Think of all the guys with extreme cardio and they all have the same look. Frankie Edgar, The Diaz brothers, Renan Barao. A big muscular physique is just not suitable for sports like MMA and boxing.

notsometourist - 

The reason Cain doesn't get shredded because shredded in fighting isn't good. To have and overly defined musculature causes problems in long-form athletes. Football players, for example, are short burst athletes. They play for 4-12 seconds at a time. Having the muscles that they have is great for explosiveness. But it isn't built to last. Fighters on the other hand have to use all of their muscles for 5 minutes at a time, 3-5 times. To have an extreme build doesn't serve a good purpose in that regard as muscles need oxygen, the more muscular, the more oxygen needed, the more tired you become. JDS got way more muscled for this fight, and due to that, when he got rocked, he couldn't recover as well. He couldn't bring in enough oxygen to feed his muscles AND recover. Cain on the other hand is a little on the softer side, his muscles don't require as much oxygen, it's the reason his cardio is so good. Think of all the guys with extreme cardio and they all have the same look. Frankie Edgar, The Diaz brothers, Renan Barao. A big muscular physique is just not suitable for sports like MMA and boxing.

No one is saying Cain should put on muscle until he looks like Jeff Monson. They're saying they don't know why he doesn't lose 10-15lb of fat.

By the way, none of the guys you listed look anything like Cain and are certainly not lacking muscle.

Barao

Edgar

And then there are guys known for having among the best if not THE best cardio and workrates in the sport who are "shredded" and often very muscular in addition, like Benson Henderson, GSP, Carlos Condit, Urijah Faber, Sean Sherk, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, etc. 

Steve4192 - 

Im a real boy - His physique is a reflection of an unhealthy diet. People here defending it is stupid. It's a simple question of how he eats, because obviously it doesn't effect his fighting negatively, but it is weird someone who is billed as a "cardio machine" can have such a high body fat percentage.

 

Why would it surprise you that a guy who is a 'cardio machine' is not super muscular?

 

 

Muscle needs oxygen, which saps your cardio.  Fat doesn't need anything.  It's just reserve energy storage and cushioning.  Go take a look at the physiques of marathon runners.  Most of them are don't have rippling abs or shredded deltoids.  What little muscle they do have is often covered in a layer of fat, because less muscle and more fat = less energy expenditure and more energy reserves. 

 

Cain looks EXACTLY like what a 'cardio machine' should look like.

orcus -

notsometourist - 

The reason Cain doesn't get shredded because shredded in fighting isn't good. To have and overly defined musculature causes problems in long-form athletes. Football players, for example, are short burst athletes. They play for 4-12 seconds at a time. Having the muscles that they have is great for explosiveness. But it isn't built to last. Fighters on the other hand have to use all of their muscles for 5 minutes at a time, 3-5 times. To have an extreme build doesn't serve a good purpose in that regard as muscles need oxygen, the more muscular, the more oxygen needed, the more tired you become. JDS got way more muscled for this fight, and due to that, when he got rocked, he couldn't recover as well. He couldn't bring in enough oxygen to feed his muscles AND recover. Cain on the other hand is a little on the softer side, his muscles don't require as much oxygen, it's the reason his cardio is so good. Think of all the guys with extreme cardio and they all have the same look. Frankie Edgar, The Diaz brothers, Renan Barao. A big muscular physique is just not suitable for sports like MMA and boxing.

No one is saying Cain should put on muscle until he looks like Jeff Monson. They're saying they don't know why he doesn't lose 10-15lb of fat.

By the way, none of the guys you listed look anything like Cain and are certainly not lacking muscle.

Barao

Edgar

 

And then there are guys known for having among the best if not THE best cardio and workrates in the sport who are "shredded" and often very muscular in addition, like Benson Henderson, GSP, Carlos Condit, Urijah Faber, Sean Sherk, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, etc. 

BshMstr - 

Steve4192 - 

Im a real boy - His physique is a reflection of an unhealthy diet. People here defending it is stupid. It's a simple question of how he eats, because obviously it doesn't effect his fighting negatively, but it is weird someone who is billed as a "cardio machine" can have such a high body fat percentage.

 

Why would it surprise you that a guy who is a 'cardio machine' is not super muscular?

 

 

Muscle needs oxygen, which saps your cardio.  Fat doesn't need anything.  It's just reserve energy storage and cushioning.  Go take a look at the physiques of marathon runners.  Most of them are don't have rippling abs or shredded deltoids.  What little muscle they do have is often covered in a layer of fat, because less muscle and more fat = less energy expenditure and more energy reserves. 

 

Cain looks EXACTLY like what a 'cardio machine' should look like.

yup.

a couple more things...

-the extra weight does help in striking power....see Roy Nelson. these guys prolly train at least 4 hours a day....if they thought they needed to drop some pounds to perform better, it prolly wouldn't take too much effort.

-look at Nick Diaz....he's lean and obviously very fit, but he's not "cut" or "chiseled".... MMA athletes need very well developed aerobic AND anaerobic energy systems. bodybuilder-esque muscle simply doesn't matter, except for getting chicks and sponsors.

orcus - 

By the way I think the fat probably does serve some purpose. I assume that as with Fedor, Cain thinks carrying extra weight gives him more weight to put into his punches and gives him more weight to lean on guys or smother them with, and make it harder for him to be muscled around himself. These guys are not lazy, they must feel there is some advantage or I assume they'd take care of it.

This.

Having a ripped body is not a sign of superior cardio-vascular endurance. Lung capacity and the health of your heart are the determining factors of your endurance but are not visible.

From experience, I weigh around 200 but about a year ago, I dieted and dropped to 178lbs. to compete at 81kg in Judo. But I litterally got thrown around like a rag-doll at that weight at practice and competition. I just didn't have the same kind of power that I had at 90kg, being able to throw my weight around and to drop my center of gravity to defend against attacks provided a major advantage when it came to throws and takedowns.

Some people are just built that way while others get a boost to their stength and stamina buy cutting weight. I believe Cain and many other small HWs benefit from that little bit of extra weight that they can throw around to compete against physically bigger guys.

helpme - 

BshMstr - 

Steve4192 - 

Im a real boy - His physique is a reflection of an unhealthy diet. People here defending it is stupid. It's a simple question of how he eats, because obviously it doesn't effect his fighting negatively, but it is weird someone who is billed as a "cardio machine" can have such a high body fat percentage.

 

Why would it surprise you that a guy who is a 'cardio machine' is not super muscular?

 

 

Muscle needs oxygen, which saps your cardio.  Fat doesn't need anything.  It's just reserve energy storage and cushioning.  Go take a look at the physiques of marathon runners.  Most of them are don't have rippling abs or shredded deltoids.  What little muscle they do have is often covered in a layer of fat, because less muscle and more fat = less energy expenditure and more energy reserves. 

 

Cain looks EXACTLY like what a 'cardio machine' should look like.

yup.

a couple more things...

-the extra weight does help in striking power....see Roy Nelson. these guys prolly train at least 4 hours a day....if they thought they needed to drop some pounds to perform better, it prolly wouldn't take too much effort.

-look at Nick Diaz....he's lean and obviously very fit, but he's not "cut" or "chiseled".... MMA athletes need very well developed aerobic AND anaerobic energy systems. bodybuilder-esque muscle simply doesn't matter, except for getting chicks and sponsors.

Flab in your belly does not help in striking power, no one is saying Cain should pack more muscle

Just that if he drops the fat he'd probably be better since he wouldn't have a vest of useless weight around him.

And if that doesn't make him better he could go back to his normal form easily.

CheckinHose -  His diet consists of American Wrestlers, Black Kickboxers and Brazilians Blood

".....i know this is hard to prove in either case, but seriously, look at guys like Big Country and Cain. if they thought it would matter, i'm sure they'd drop the weight....i find it amusing that so many people here know so much more about this the guys that are fighting at the highest level, and successfully, i might add."

I certainly wouldn't use Roy Nelson as an example; he doesn't seem to take his training all that seriously in many ways. If he got rid of the ridiculous amount of fat he's carrying he could fight at 205 with much better cardio and probably more speed, and what would he be giving up? Maybe a bit of power.

orcus - 

".....i know this is hard to prove in either case, but seriously, look at guys like Big Country and Cain. if they thought it would matter, i'm sure they'd drop the weight....i find it amusing that so many people here know so much more about this the guys that are fighting at the highest level, and successfully, i might add."

 

I certainly wouldn't use Roy Nelson as an example; he doesn't seem to take his training all that seriously in many ways. If he got rid of the ridiculous amount of fat he's carrying he could fight at 205 with much better cardio and probably more speed, and what would he be giving up? Maybe a bit of power.

AresSmashedPrahjuhdee - 

Just had a great conversation with a friend that lived in Mexico for a bit. He told me about how some places will take plates, put plastic bags over them, serve the food on the plastic bags, then when they're done and turn in the plates theyslide the plate out of the bag. voila. now there's a pic proving it

Kostakio -

gooddoc -

That looks fucking good.

orcus - 

Steve4192 - 

PoundforPound - That's an interesting theory. More fat = more stamina.

Roy Nelson is a bit of a cardio machine too isn't he?

 

Obviously, there is a point of diminishing returns where lugging around the extra body mass saps your cardio, but a moderate layer of fat does not impede performance.  There is no reason for a HW who weighs well under 265 to get shredded. 

 

 

Would a guy do better in a fight in terms of speed, cardio, etc, if he were wearing a 10lb weight vest or if he took the vest off? How would carrying an extra 10lb of fat be different? edit: digitdigit beat me to it

 

"Go take a look at the physiques of marathon runners"

 

 

I must be missing all the fat?

 

"how do you know he doesn't take training seriously? he's 1 of 3 guys to go the distance with JDS, 1 of 3 guys to go the distance with Mir, and 1 of 3 guys to go the distance with Werdum. he clearly has cardio, and has enough speed and power to KO plenty of other HW's..."

He lasted in those fights because he can take a beating like no other. He got his ass absolutely brutally kicked in every one of those and if he had the cardio maybe he could have had the gas to land his one big punch which is pretty much the only way he's won any fights in the UFC. I say he doesn't take his training as seriously as he might because he is carrying 50lb of useless fat and his in-fight options seem to boil down to "hope I can land one big punch, otherwise get beaten to a living death for 15 minutes".

"It's not as simple as taking off a 10lb vest."

No one said it's that simple. The analogy was a counter to your statement that carrying a moderate layer of fat doesn't impede performance.

"-as far as the gain in speed, it's not like Cain carries a lot of fat in his limbs...it's mainly his midsection. if he was a sprinter, then i would say it could make him faster at running, but as a fighter, i don't really see it...."

Next time you spar, put 10-20lb in a fanny pack or a backpack worn backwards and see how it goes.

"Long and short of it is, this isn't a beauty pageant, the fat can be functional."

Well, the vast majority of top fighters are carrying very little fat, especially the ones known for cardio and being able to go 5 rounds without slacking off. So given that fact, combined with the money these guys make and the coaches and nutritionists they pay to work for them, I have to assume that in general excess fat isn't considered to be especially functional in MMA. And even the exceptions who aren't as ripped typically appeared to be at their best when they had less fat (Fedor, Penn, Nogueira, Shogun, etc).