just courious, i smoke and have had a very hard time quitting, is it possible to get the needed cardio ?
thanks for the encouragement
I know of a fews fairly good fighters who smoke. They would be much better if they didn't.
I used to train with a guy who smoked, and held the British Muay Thai welterweight belt, and then moved up to middleweight because no-one would fight him. He was just hard though.
A few of the japanese fighters smoke. It is very accepted in their culture. I don't think I have met any fighters in the USA who smoke. I have met quite a few who dip though.
actually smoking promotes good cardio. So smoke them if you got them - also non filter are best.
As a brief aside, a guy in my platoon smoked a pack a day and drank heavily and still ran a 17min 3mile.
He was a tough Irishman.
I quit smoking a month ago and already my cardio has improved a lot.
My cardio got worse when I quit. At least for a while.
I was "backstage" at KOTC once and Sakuraba was standing there chain smoking. Lighting cigs with his last cig. This was in his hey day too. Personally I think that cigs are for wankers but to each his own.
I could run better when I smoked too.
there are exceptions..but for the most part you want to be a seriously athlete? you will more than likely never be at the top of your game if you are smoking garunteed.. with that being said I have seen several elite MMA guys smoking cigs
My cardio got worse when I quit. At least for a while. Actually I agree with this. The first week or two you're gonna feel a little sick, but that's a symptom of quitting.....means that your lungs are healing and you're coughing up all the tar and shit.
Actually most of the increase in cardio you get after you quit smoking are not the lungs healing, but you blood. Once carbon monoxide from the smoke binds to hemoglobin it never lets go, so that red cell cannot carry oxygen. I think red cells only have a life of about 90 days (not sure of this), but the principal still applies, as damaged red cells die they are replaced by new red cells with functioning hemoglobin.
The lung damage you have done is mostly permanant, but keep smoking and it will get worse.
Anyway, quit smoking, (if you are an urepentant addict, switch to dipping) and you will notice a diffence in a month.
Kevin Rosier smokes and you've seen his cardio.That alone should be motivation to quit
You have to replace the smoking with enough other things. Chew gum and drink water. You probably have to stop doing the things that you do that make you smoke. Example: everytime I go to restaurant x, I smoke. Maybe it's time for a change of restaurants.
Remember, all the good fighters who smoke are good despite their smoking, not because of it.
lol @ waltj and dogface
Japanese cigarettes are really really weak though. Half a pack equals one Lucky Strike Red.
Nothing affects my health like smoking. Smoking does worse things to health than drinking, in my opinion.
I have a bad habit of smoking on weekends, and I really feel it when I workout on Monday. Take three days to get the smoke out. And then Saturday, I put it back in again. Stupid...
Rampage smoked when he first started then quit I believe.
"Rampage smoked when he first started then quit I believe."
lol don't be so sure.. I have seen him in Vegas before his fights liting up