There is one common thread amongst all MMA fights. If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on. My experience says there is no feeling worse than being man handled by a professional MMA fighter. As a strength coach, I like to actively train with the fighters I work with. Well I used to. As long as I live, I will never forget the feeling of working out and wrestling for the first time with Lew Polley, Jesse Taylor, Thierry Sokoudjou, Dan Henderson, and Tarec Saffiedine. My first time working at Quest as a strength coach had me learning a lot about wrestling. I took part in an "easy session" and at the end of the15 minute warm-up, I got teamed up with Hendo. I was tired, he was just starting. At 20 minutes I had been tossed more than 20 times, and had tapped to his clinch. There was more. Next stop was Sokoudjou. At 21 minutes into practice, my "friend" tossed me about three feet with the fastest hip toss Id ever seen. I laid on the mat in a pool of sweat, needed a minute to love life again. While I took some deep breaths Sokoudjou skipped. We got a new partner ever five minutes. I was everyones "break". It went on like this for 39 more minutes, one beating to another. Single leg takedown drills, wrestling for top position. I never once threatened anyone for position. I did however, threaten to throw up on Jesse. I think back to that practice every time I train in the gym. I realize that no matter how physically fit I get, its a whole different world to be on a mat and working with pros. The sport of MMA is unbelievably physically demanding. To this day, four years later, I have not been able to mirror the intensity. There is one solid trick to try to get as close as possible. Disrupt your breathing. If you have never played sports with a mouth guard then you have missed out on something special. However, the athletes I work with in MMA are using a brand new guard by SISU and its a game changer. The athletes can actually breath, talk, and drink while its in. Putting in a mouth guard while you run is the most basic way to change your breathing, and raise the intensity. If you jump to YouTube, you can see some of my videos where I train with the "Training Mask". The goal is not to create high altitude training, the goal is to make it tough to get a full deep breath. That forces your intercostal muscles, and diaphragm to work harder. Its the same situation as having a 200 + lbs MMA superstar on your chest, or with their arms digging into your ribs. When that happens, you cant get a full breath. When you do your sprint training, try putting in a mouth guard or incorporating a training mask device. That was the focus for me this week. Tuesday and Thursday I did my cardio sessions with a SISU mouth guard, and they went like this. 10 minutes to warm up on the treadmill, adjust to the mouth guard. - 8 x 20 second on 10 second rest sprints on the treadmill. 10 on incline, and fast as safely possible- 8 x 30 second on 30 seconds of rest bike sprints- Then back to the treadmill- 4 x 30 second of back peddling 15 seconds of rest. Incline at 6 and as fast as safely possible- Then a 5 minutes jog without a mouth guard, and then 5 minutes to cool down Takes roughly 30 minutes to get it all done. It feels terrible while its going on, but the recover and energy burst from finishing will be a huge boost to your entire day. I said it before in this article, you cant boo any athlete until you try the basics of the training. Most pros can do this type of cardio with their eyes closed. They gas out because there is nothing that can prepare them for the entire event, and the intensity of being in a real life fight. Try this in your training, and get just a small taste of what its like to be as fit as a fighter. Add a mouth guard, or a training mask. Next week, Im breaking out the weight vest. Its time to get to the next level. Joel Armia Jersey . -- Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings will be on the sideline as the Packers make their push for a perfect regular season. Dickie Moore Jersey .com) - Jeff Teague finished with a game-high 26 points and eight assists as the Atlanta Hawks held off the Utah Jazz, 98-92, on Friday. http://www.canadienssale.com/authentic-m...ens-jersey/.com) - Stephen Currys jumper with 3. Phillip Danault Canadiens Jersey . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1). Paul Byron Canadiens Jersey . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void.Jolyon Palmer has promised Renault a more complete driver if the French outfit choose to retain him for a second season. The Enstone team have struggled in their first year back in Formula 1 but have aspirations of adding to their two constructors titles in the near future. As such, both Palmer and team-mate Kevin Magnussen are vulnerable with the manufacturer looking for an experienced, leading driver in 2017.But with a driver line-up announcement not forthcoming as of yet, Palmer still hopes he will be given a chance to build on his rookie season in the sport. The Formula 1 Gossip ColumnThe main thing for me is to be judged compared to Kevin because hes in the same car, the Brit, sitting down with Sky F1s Johnny Herbert prior to the Malaysia GP, said. Early on Id say he had the upper hand, its fair to say, but after the first third of the season weve been very, very close.I want to be with Renault [in 2017] and I know that if I am well have a more competitive car. Ive learned a lot this year, its been tough. But I think Im driving not too bad overall, maybe with a few too many mistakes, but Im a rookie and I think thats to be expected over the course of a 21-race year. Next year, if I come back, no doubt I will be more complete because I will have learned from the mistakes that Ive made.The 2014 GP2 champion seems to be timing an upturn in form at the right time at Renault, securing his first points in F1 inn Malaysia with an impressive 10th-place finish.ddddddddddddJo is improving, step by step. he is doing a good job, said Renault chief Frederic Vasseur.Why the delay at Renault?When Vasseur confirmed that Renault were chasing a driver capable of leading a team, he was confident that the options available to him in the driver market meant an early September announcement was probable.Sergio Perez seemed the most likely candidate, but the Mexican has now been officially confirmed as a Force India driver for next season. Still, Renault are desperately seeking top drivers for 2017, according to Auto Motor und Sport, and intend to drop Magnussen and Palmer. The German publication claims that Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz remain top of the teams wish-list despite Hulkenberg and Sainz being under contract at Force India and Toro Rosso respectively, while Bottas is expected to stay on at Williams alongside Lance Stroll.However, Auto Motor und Sport speculate that with a bumper three-year deal on offer, its not yet certain that Renault will be rejected.Whats unclear is just what Renault will do if Sainz, Hulkenberg and Bottas all join Perez in saying no… Also See: Palmer and KMag to fight for seat? Malaysia GP driver ratings The Formula 1 Gossip Column 21 races in 2017 ' ' '