Last Updated on January 31, 2013.
By Joshu Shane Baker – Head Instructor, TSMMA Cherry Hill
I went from being in the 220s and eating like a slob to in the 180s and knocking opponents out. I’m in the best shape of my entire life, and loving every minute of it thanks to Tiger Schulmann’s MMA.
The Start
Who wouldn’t want a schedule where you could wake up at noon everyday, still have 2 hours before you go to work, have a job where you get to coach a sport, then take a three hour class 3 times a week, AND have 3 day weekends every weekend. Sounds too good to be true right? Well for me, my last year of grad school was exactly that. I had worked my butt off for 4+ years, taking courses during winter and summer breaks so that I could have an easy final year. So what does a 22 year old kid do with all that time? I lived it up. Went out all the time, went on vacations, ate anything I wanted, slept in all the time, still got all my work done, but any free time was definitely not put towards eating healthy or exercising. So in turn, when I graduated, this kid who was always in great shape from doing martial arts, tennis, and any other sport he could get his hands on, was way out of shape at over 220lbs.
So in turn, when I graduated, this kid who was always in great shape from doing martial arts, tennis, and any other sport he could get his hands on, was way out of shape at over 220lbs.
The Turning point
Unfortunately, when I graduated in 2009 it was the heart of the recession. Finding a job right out of college was very difficult seeing that most people were losing their jobs. It wasn’t until my mom called me “butterball” that I finally told myself “ENOUGH!” That’s when I went to my old MMA school (TSMMA Feasterville) and asked Sensei Campbell if I could train and get myself back in shape while I looked for a job. He said I got something even better, train and work so that way you get both. Perfect.
It wasn’t until my mom called me “butterball” that I finally told myself “ENOUGH!”
The Change
This amount of weight loss I wanted to do was not something I was familiar with, and DEFINITELY not the lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to. However, I hated the way I looked in the mirror; the big belly, the fat chins, the loss of muscle tone. The first thing that had to change was my diet, no more late night eating or greasy food. Bring on the chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, egg whites, and vegetables. The first week SUCKED!! But it also sucked trying to train 2 hours a night with cheesesteaks and french fries in your stomach. After a while, not only did I like what I was eating, but I also liked how much more energy I had to train, and best of all, how I started to look.
The first 30 lbs came off in the first 3 months of this regimen
THE NOW
The first 30 lbs came off in the first 3 months of this regimen. As the pounds fell off and the muscles and cardio came back, I grew addicted to having a good body and being in shape. I grew addicted to it so much, that I wanted to bring this type of change to other people’s lives as well. So I decided not to pursue a career in my major, which was Electrical Engineering, and instead became a Tiger Schulmann’s MMA instructor so I could help guide people to get themselves back in shape and not hate what they saw in the mirror. I went from being in the 220s and eating like a slob to in the 180s and knocking opponents out. I’m in the best shape of my entire life, and loving every minute of it thanks to Tiger Schulmann’s MMA. So do me a favor, take a look in the mirror and tell me if you like what you see!
