Mike from Michigan asks: My boys both want to be athletes when they grow up. Should I be giving them protein drinks at only 6 and 9 or will that be harmful? Would you give it to your kids?

 

Rich’s Answer: It is important for children to have a well-balanced nutritional program. Protein is the essential nutrient for building muscle, which is very important for growth. I have read studies that suggest an intake of 1g or slightly more per kg of weight. So a 100 pound child should consume no more than approximately 45g of protein per day. Most kids I know use protein shakes as a lazy way to replace a meal. Nothing trumps natural food, and I only drink protein shakes when I am not hungry enough to process solid food or when I am in a pinch. Consult your doctor and see what is the maximum amount of protein your child should consume per day. Set up the nutrition accordingly and avoid the shakes unless you have to. Remember quality of a nutrient is just as important as quantity.

Rich “Ace” Franklin (28-5) was the star of this past Saturday’s UFC 115 event that was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 

Franklin persevered through a broken arm to defeat UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell (21-8) via first round knockout.

 

According to Rich, he knew almost immediately when the damage was done but do not expect any quit out of Franklin.

 

“First off all, thank you to my team. Jorge Gurgel, because he organized my whole camp, Rob Radford, Neil Rowe, Dustin Hazelett, Chris Mirzrak, Taylor Ruscin, Rob Nickerson, and Matt Hume. These guys helped me on a continous basis,” Franklin then explained the injury and how soon he knew.

 

“It was one of the kicks and it was about two minutes into the round. I don’t know if I knew right away but I knew within the next ten seconds. I would trade a broken arm for a victory any day and now is a good time for me, I won my fight, I beat a big name fighter, and I have a broken arm but I still have one arm that’s not broken.”

 

The broken arm is not the first time that Franklin has continued to fight while injured. Against David Loiseau at UFC 58, he sustained a broken hand and continued to fight throughout the duration of the five round title fight.

 

Franklin went on to dominate all five rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory. When asked if he was in a similar position and mindset in both fights, Rich explained.

 

“It was basically the same thing but I think this broken arm is worse than a broken hand. With the Loiseau fight I knew I was going to finish the fight but with the broken arm I wasn’t sure. I knew I was going to try to finish it but I didn’t know if I was going to be able too.”

 

One thing worth noting is that the Franklin is comfortable fighting from both southpaw and conventional. The strike that dropped Liddell was a right hand, which is the lead hand for a southpaw. Listening to Rich tell it, he is comfortable either way.  

 

“I first started out in traditional karate and in traditional karate you’re always switching your stance. At some point in time when I was fighting early in my career I decided that I was much better as a southpaw than I was a conventional fighter so I decided to stick with that.”

 

The decision has obviously paid off, 53 percent of his victories have come via TKO. His story is one of the best in sports, he had graduated college and began teaching. Being a professional mixed martial artist had not crossed his mind at that point.

 

An athlete his whole life, Franklin then decided to fill the athletic void that had been left unfilled after no longer playing the sport he loved in high school.

 

“I played football my whole life and I wanted to go to college to play football but I just didn’t have the god given strength, speed, or size to play college ball that you need. Every boy in this world dreams about being some sort of a professional athlete, no matter what sport their in. I dreamed about being a being a professional football player, I stuck with football all the way through my senior year. After my senior year, I realized that I wasn’t going to be playing ball and I needed to do something to fill that athletic void,” Rich said.

 

“I got into martial arts and started with traditional karate and it kind of turned into mixed martial arts because the UFC came on the scene at about that point in time. I never in my life set out to be a professional mixed martial artist but I was determined to be a professional athlete and God blessed me with a talent for fighting. I’m not a great boxer, I’m not a great wrestler, but when you mesh them all together I’m really good.”

 

In addition to being an elite fighter in the sport, he also co-owns apparel brand American Fighter. Since beginning his career Franklin has been the world middleweight champion, defeated legends of the sport (Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell), competed around the world, became a huge name in the sport, and he exemplifies the word American Fighter.

 

American Fighter was formed between Franklin and friend Jeff Adler. So, you may wonder when was the company formed and how did the two Cincinnati, Ohio residents formulate the name American Fighter.  

 

“I think Jeff (Adler) and I came up with the name collaboratively. When we came up with the name we didn’t realize the impact that the name American Fighter would have. People associate everything to it. From, the single mom that is having trouble raising her kids to the American military personnel that are overseas. Everyday you wake up you’re fighting for something. So, it’s just one of those names that has really taken a whole new meaning since we came up with the name itself.”

 

A true American Fighter himself, Franklin works with the disabled American vets to help give back to the men and women that are fighting each day so that we can live normal lives.

 

“I do a lot of hospital visits, been to the center for the intrepid, I was down there and got my butt kicked in some dodgeball when I was down there playing with the vets. I just spend time going place to place meeting people and most of the time I’m trying to bring up their moral. We do a lot of fund-raising and help bring awareness to the disabled American vets,” Franklin continued by saying.

 

“Military is one of the biggest supporters of MMA in general. I understand that I have a huge fan base with them and because what they do for us I just feel like I should give back. I feel the need to give back to the military personnel that are overseas doing what they do for us. It’s the least that I could do.”

 

Rich Franklin exemplifies the word American Fighter and is a true champion that anyone would be proud to associate themselves with.

The UFC is set to invade Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada this Saturday night for UFC 115 live on pay-per-view.

Eleven fights are featured on the card with Spike TV hosting two preliminary fights and five scheduled for the main card portion of the event.

Rich “Ace” Franklin (25-5) makes his return to the world famous Octagon to face UFC Hall of Famer, Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell.

The two light heavyweights were not originally supposed to face another. Franklin stepped in and accepted the fight against Liddell with a week remaining in this season of the Ultimate Fighter. 

Rich explained that the short duration on the show is what helped make the decision easier.

“It definitely made the decision a lot easier to go out there, especially with it being on the whim. Had I known that I was going to coach the whole season, then I could have made the adjustments and all that kind of stuff ahead of time,” Franklin explained.

“For example, when (Dan) Henderson and I fought and the winner was going to get the spot to coach on the show (Ultimate Fighter Season 9). Although I wasn’t eager to do it, it wasn’t something that I didn’t want to do either. It’s definitely difficult to leave home for six weeks but when you know that is coming then you can prepare for it.”

The former middleweight champion went on to add that he did not have much time to prepare for the show, but because UFC president Dana White called and since the stint on the show was brief he accepted.

“Dana called me on a Wednesday night and I was in Vegas on a Thursday night. Because he called me and it was only a week it was easy for me to rearrange things and drop whatever it was that I was doing.”

With that being said, Franklin took some time off to rest both physically and mentally after his last fight but states that the timeframe of this card worked in just perfect.

“I was ready to pick it back up in June, July, or August is what I thinking of a time frame. The UFC had already contacted me several times earlier in the year for fights,” Franklin explained. “For example, they called me about fighting in Australia (UFC 110) but I didn’t want to go in February. Dana called me about mid to late March for the Ultimate Fighter and I was already back in the gym training because I had just recently came off my umbilical hernia surgery that I had. I was already putting the wheels in motion to get ready for the next fight.”

 

UFC President Dana White is not the only one happy that Franklin stepped up and saved the day. Fans of the sport have expressed an immense interest in seeing this fight and a big reason for that is because Rich never fails to present exciting fights when he steps into the Octagon.

 

“It’s going to be great energy live and I think that it’s going to be one of the best the UFC has ever had. And, I believe the UFC pay-per-view numbers will show that.” Furthermore Rich states, “I think it’s because Chuck and I both do (put on exciting fights) and the fans know it. They know this is one of those fights that you’re going to show up and it’s going to be a great show. Stylistically, I think everyone knows what we’re going to come in and do. The fans like that and it’s a good matchup for them.”

 

It is that type of attitude that has drawn fans to Franklin and his work ethic in the sport has been second to none which has allowed him to fight the way he does.

 

That same hard working style translates into everything he does and not only when he steps inside the Octagon.

 

“It’s not just this sport, it’s pretty much everything I do basically. The reason why is, really, I’m not athletically the most blessed athlete in the world. I have decent athletic talent but I’m not the greatest athlete in the UFC and the main ways that I beat people is through my work ethic,” Franklin added. 

“It’s really how I compensate for a lack of superior strength or a lack of superior speed. I’m not one of those guys that possesses one attribute that sets me apart from any other fighter but I’m well meshed at everything. One thing I know that I have over about 99 percent of people in this sport is my work ethic and it’s something I rely on.”

 

Franklin relied on the exceptional coaching staff of his home based gym in Cincinnati for this fight and also made a few visits to Matt Hume’s AMC Pankration in Seattle.

 

“I spent the entire 8 week prep at home (Cincinnati) and I spent a couple of weeks with him (Matt Hume) but non-consecutively though. The whole camp was here in Cincinnati.”

 

Rich explained that while the stay at home for this camp has been exceptional he still cannot escape the tasks around the house.

 

“It’s kind of a double edged sword. Leaving town is nice because I don’t have to worry about anything. As far as little stuff like my pool, it took a lot of effort getting my pool open this year and if I was in Seattle training for this fight then my pool would’ve never of gotten open but I wouldn’t worry about it either because there’s nothing I could’ve done about it. Getting my grass cut, the church’s grass cut, all that kind of stuff. So the blessing is, is that when the fight is over I don’t have to come back home to two months of chores that aren’t done.” 

 

With being home for this camp in mind, Franklin’s apparel brand American Fighter is also based out of Cincinnati, Oh. They teamed up with mega-brand Tapout for a UFC 115 signature shirt and according to Rich the experience working with Tapout has been great.

 

“Tapout has been good, obviously they’re the biggest brand in the business and they were always good to me when I was with them originally. When I was with Tapout originally it was a much smaller company then it is now. They’ve treated us (American Fighter) really well and it’s just a completely different animal since I’m with them again.”

 

In closing, Franklin was very quick to show support to the fans that have supported him throughout his career and the people that continue to lend a hand in helping him achieve greatness.

 

“Thank you to the fans, they have showed a tremendous amount of support for this fight and that makes it exciting. Also, American Fighter, Tapout, Starchem Labs, and we work with the disable American vets as well. Thanks”

 

Additional information on Rich “Ace” Franklin can be found via www.richfranklin.com and www.americanfighter.com

Stacey from Connecticut asks:  I’ve heard that fighters can cut 15 or 20 pounds in a day before weigh ins. How can I cut weight that quickly and how can I keep that weight off?

 

Rich’s Answer:  Unfortunately there is no way to cut weight that quickly and keep it off. My weight cut is a process of stripping my body of most of the water, and many of the nutrients in it.  It is meant to only keep for a short amount of time…for a weigh-in, bodybuilding contest or a photo shoot. With a proper nutrition program, notice I never say diet, because it is a lifestyle and not a phase or a fad, you can expect to lose about 4 pounds per week as a general rule.  There are exceptions, for example, when you begin your new nutrition or if you are extremely overweight, you MAY experience more weight loss initially. Typically, losing more than 4 pounds per week will probably be cutting into muscle, which is counter productive. Remember, there is a big difference between looking thin and looking fit. Bottom line…there is no short cut that produces results like hard work!

Rich’s Answer:  Many people have asked about my faith, and I am not trying to press anything on anyone…this is a slice of my life.  My parents began going to and Independent Baptist Church when I was young, and I came to know Jesus at the age of 5.  I attend a non-denominational church now, but the minister has roots in a Baptist church as well.  There is much legalism in many religions and churches, and it is something I try to avoid. Christians often judge and do things according to tradition, and it turns many “could be” followers of Christ away. I am not perfect, and the public light causes heavy scrutiny on my every action at times. A reading I like to keep in mind is Romans Ch. 7 verses 15-25.  Paul talks about his inward struggle with sin. Although he wants to do the right thing, he fails.  I feel like I come up short often, and every Christian should.  If you are a non-believer reading this, take a look at the verses…it’s something to keep in mind the next time you run into a “holier than thou” person.

Rich’s Answer: I try to keep my supplement routine as simple as possible.  I am great about taking what I need when I wake or before I go to sleep, but tend to forget if I take things throughout the day.  I take a multi-vitamin, greens, Glucosamine & Chondroitin and Creatine when I wake up every morning. I mix fish oil into my protein shakes or any meal that does not provide a significant amount of fat. I typically try to consume 2-3 TBSP per day.  I drink a Glutamine/Creatine mix during my workouts, as well as some sort of electrolyte drink.  Before I go to bed, I do more greens and Glucosamine & Chondroitin again. I also have a B-12 boost each week as well. I limit my protein drinks to no more than 2 per day, because food is so much more beneficial to the body.

Rich’s Answer: It depends on what time you go to bed. The best meal plan for gaining muscle or losing fat is eating every 2.5 to 3 hours. It takes your digestive system that long to break the food down in your stomach and move it to the intestines.  For example, it does not make sense to cut your meals off 5 hours before you go to bed, because your metabolism is slowing down after that 3 hour mark. More important than the time you cut your meals off is what you eat before you go to bed. Some people are more carb sensitive than others and get results by reducing or eliminating carbs from their last meal. Remember, it is nearly impossible for the body to store protein as fat. I must be very careful about weight when I am fighting at 185. Yet, I still eat right before I go to bed…typically some protein and vegetables.