LIVING & HEALTH
F itne s s
Push outside your comfort zone → Most
mixed martial arts gyms offer welcoming environments and shredded bodies… the good kind Story Jeremy Foreshew | Photography Jodi Pudge
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f you find yourself bored at the gym and in a bit of a fitness funk, you are not alone. After all, there are really only so many squats, curls and presses that you can do before things start to get a little stale. Be careful. Once your motivation starts to slip, so will your commitment to your program. Fight back against performance plateaus by forcing yourself outside your comfort zone. To challenge your body and mind, try mixed martial arts (MMA). Brought to North America in the 1990s, MMA was illegal in Ontario until just this year. Since then, its popularity has exploded in Toronto. With more than 500 mixed martial arts gyms in the area, droves of people have turned to MMA to get an incredible workout. It makes sense. MMA is an extremely tough full-body workout requiring many muscle groups, rather than isolated exercises such as a bench press or bicep curl. This approach burns more calories than a regular weights-based workout and the
continuous challenges to your balance and coordination delivers an amazingly strong core. Look at any of the professional league fighters and their shredded bodies and you’ll agree. So why aren’t more gay men and lesbians turning to MMA? Looking at what’s presented to us on television, it’s easy to chalk up MMA as a heterocentric testosterone-fuelled party where aggressive guys and gals beat their chests
“You learn that you are capable of anything. It’s natural to be nervous, but the rewards are well worth the risk.” and then each other. With a little research, it turns out the MMA world is actually an accepting and inclusive environment. In fact, UFC president Dana White publicly welcomed the idea of a gay fighter a couple of
years ago on a blog for UFC88. “The guys in the UFC, everybody’s so cool, there’s great sportsmanship, everybody’s so respectful,” said White in the video. “It wouldn’t be a big deal to me, and most of the guys I know in this sport, it wouldn’t be a big deal to them either.” Just three years later comes Liz Caramouche, a US exMarine and the professional MMA world’s first openly lesbian fighter (and title contender). I signed up for some classes at OpenMat, an MMA gym in downtown Toronto, where I met with head instructor Elliot Bayev. “It’s always intimidating to start something new and people often assume that martial arts gyms are going to be full of intimidating ‘tough guys,’” he says. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Elliot, who holds a black belt in tae kwon doe and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu says the OpenMat philosophy provides an open and inclusive environment for new learners. “We specialize in helping people who’ve never done martial arts take their first step
→ OPEN MINDED Elliot Bayev, head instructor at Toronto’s OpenMat, says MMA fighters are wrongly characterized as macho “tough men.”
with a comprehensive beginners program in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai kickboxing and wrestling.” In his opinion, the largest benefit to anyone in MMA is the boost of confidence. “You learn that you are capable of anything. It’s natural to be nervous, but the rewards are well worth the risk.” After my first 60 minute class, I agree. The mixed martial arts world isn’t about who you are, but about what you can do. No one here cares about your partner in bed. All they ask is that you’re a great partner on the mat. OpenMat Offers a free 30-day trial on classes for new students. 593 Yonge St, third floor (647) 269-8466. openmat.ca. FIGHTER’S BODY For mixed martial arts-like workout, go to intorontomag.com. Jeremy Foreshew jeremyforeshew.com. intorontomag.com
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