Hi, it's Dr Sam Robbins,
The other day I got an interesting question from Tino - “How or why do Sumo wrestlers
gain so much weight/fat, if they are on an intermittent fasting “diet” - I don’t
get it?!! I thought intermittent fasting was for weight loss?”
It’s actually a good observation because he’s got a point.
Sumo wrestlers skip breakfast and eat 2 meals daily, during an 8 hour window usually -- just
like intermittent fasting.
However, there are some other differences and I’ll get to those in a minute.
Now, today’s topic is how sumo wrestlers can gain so much weight and fat, so quickly.
It’s an odd topic, but I got a lot of people asking me about it - so, why not.
However, I’m also doing this topic because there are important weight loss lessons in
it as well.
I say this because over the years I’ve had so many people tell me something like, “I
don’t understand it. I only eat twice a day and I’m still gaining weight,” or
“I skip breakfast and I usually work through lunch and I’m still fat.” Or they’ll
say, “I hardly eat anything and I can’t seem to lose weight.”
If any of the statements sounds like you or someone you know, then you should keep watching.
If any of these statements are coming from someone you know, then make sure you share
this video with them.
On the other hand, if the idea of looking like a Sumo wrestler is appealing to you,
then just follow today’s 7 simple rules: How To Gain Weight Like A Sumo Wrestler
They skip breakfast. This helps slow down your metabolism in the
morning. Eating speeds it up.
Exercise in a fasted state / empty stomach for 3-5 hours.
This increases cortisol and stress hormones, so your body is now in a “fat conservation”
and “survival” mode.
Eat two, large meals daily. Typically at 11 am and about 8 hours later.
Sleep after each meals. 4 hours after meal 1 and overnight after last meal.
This helps convert the food for storage, not used for energy. Especially meal #2.
Eat LOTS of calories, primarily from carbs, a little bit of protein and almost no fat.
This causes high insulin/blood sugar levels, which stores the food as fat.
Drink lots of beer with both meals. Alcohol increases estrogen levels, which creates
more body fat, especially beer. Alcohol also stimulates your body to secrete excess levels
of cortisol (your stress hormone), which in turn, causes your body to store fat in your
abdominal area, thus creating that famous “beer belly” look. This is great for a
Sumo wrestler because their big belly makes them more stable in the ring.
Eat with friends. During the two times they eat, it’s done
with at least one other person and typically a few friends or teammates. Research shows
that when you eat a meal with others, you’ll take in 44% more food and over 30% more carbs
and fats, than if you were to eat alone.
Isn’t This Intermittent Fasting? So this is how a Sumo wrestler gains weight.
Now I can see where the “skipping breakfast”, “working out fasted” and “eating during
an 8 hour time span” might make someone say quickly “Isn’t that what Intermittent
fasting is?”
Yes, it is. However, there are other factors here:
They eat a LOT of calories, between 8000 - 20,000 daily. When you eat that much food, you’re
going to get fat. Except the Sumo style speeds up the process.
They eat primarily carbs.
Drink lots of beer.
Genetics - wrestling scouts look for boys who are athletic (preferably with experience
in the martial arts) and stocky in build, with bodies that are big-boned and capable
of putting on weight easily.
So, what are the lessons we can take to an Intermittent Fasting plan if your goal is
fat loss and you are not a Sumo wrestler in training?
Eating only 1 or 2 large meals isn’t a good idea, several smaller ones are ideal for better
absorption and hormones. Don’t have high carbs - eat protein and
fat. I like ⅓ (33%) of each as a starting point.
Total calories still counts. Doing hours of exercises fasted is going to
raise your cortisol, lower testosterone, burn muscle and hold on to fat. Keep your workouts
between 45-60 min. Short and intense. Limit alcohol.
Sleep is important for both building muscle and losing fat because it improves your hormones.
So there you have it - whether you want to get fat or lose weight. There are success
principles for follow.
Well, that’s it for today. I hope this video gave your more clarity.
If you found it helpful, please give it a “thumbs up” and “share the health”
with others, so they can benefit as well.
In the comments section below, let me know what you learned today and what you liked.
Also, please do me a big favor and let me know what topics you’d like me to cover
in my videos. I have a special link below, in the description area, that you can fill
out and it’ll go directly to my private email box.
This helps me make videos that YOU want to watch about topics that YOU’RE interested
in.
Thanks for listening and have a happy and healthy day!