Clay Guida, is one of the most popular MMA lightweights in UFC history. A professional competitor since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the WEC, King of the Cage, and Shooto. He was the inaugural Strikeforce Lightweight Champion.  Clay's nickname “The Carpenter” is all about his ability to outwork opponents in the Octagon! We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Clay for a little Q&A!

How long have you been doing mixed martial arts (MMA)?

I started fighting MMA before I started training in 2004.

What made you want to do what you are doing? What’s your story? 

I started fighting by accident. I went to watch my big brother Jason make his professional debut, and I jumped in to replace an athlete that dropped out last minute. I fought on 1 hours notice and never looked back.  Here we are almost 20 years later still having fun and competing.

What has been your favorite fight in UFC so far? 

I have several favorite fights but I’ll give you two.  

1. My STRIKEFORCE LW Title fight was 25 minutes of wrestling and cardio against a highly touted opponent.
2. My UFC debut which we won by submission of the Night!!!

Why ICON Meals? What makes us different? 

ICON has set the bar in the meal prep world. Their team is professional and the products speak for themself. Fresh, healthy, delicious and always at your doorstep. They’ve been life savers during training camp and fight week!!! ICON MEALS 4LIFE!

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

1. Be helpful and kind to others. 
2. In life, just like in sports, live everyday, and play every play like it’s your last, because you just never know.

Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?

The sport of wrestling along with my parents and family inspire me to do great things! I came from a small village, while my parents worked 2 jobs to provide a better life for me. They got us in sports and being from a small town I forced myself to have bigger dreams of competing at the highest level in sports!!!

How do you balance your UFC career and life demands?

The balance is simple for me…I’m constantly traveling, fishing, and going to professional sporting events, and live music with family and friends so I can focus once I’m in training camp. 

What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be known as the most exciting fighter, that gives the underdog hope! If you out-work everyone, you’ll always have a chance to be successful!!!

I want to be known as the athlete that leaves the crowd on their feet and wants to see me compete for 1 more round!!!

What is your current focus? Any plans for the future?  

My current focus is to stay as active as possible in the UFC, and show the world we keep improving with age and experience.

Plans for the future are to continue building our fishing guide service “gillzandthrillzwithguida” and start another wrestling club in South Florida with my buddies and brother.  FISHINGISLIFE WRESTLINGISLIFE 

What are your favorite ICON Meals? Or favorite thing about ICON Meals?

Every single ICON Meal is my favorite!!! Haha

• Chopped Beef Brisket and Cheesy Cauliflower 
• American Breakfast Bowl
• Salmon, Saffron Rice & Green Beans 
• Beef Medallions, Saffron Rice & Green Beans 
• Beefy Mac n Cheese with Broccoli 
• Bison Burger 
• Turkey and Sweet Potatoes 

Stay connected with Clay on:

• Instagram @clayguida
• Instagram Fishing Channel @gillzandthrillzwithguida
• Facebook /ClayTheCarpenterGuida
• Twitter @clayguida

Want to be featured on ICON Meals? Submit your stories to info@iconmeals.com or send us a DM on IG or Facebook!

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Calories put on pounds, simple as that. If you want to lose weight, just cut out the calories, right? Well — it’s not that simple. To stay HEALTHY while cutting you still need to eat well. The key is to load up your diet with foods rich in nutrients and proteins, and low in saturated fats and calories. High-protein foods keep you feeling full longer, reducing hunger cravings — the #1 diet destroyer.

How much protein is enough for you? According to the Dietary Reference Intake Report, the maintenance zone for sedentary people is 0.36g/day for every pound they weigh*. Let’s assume readers of this blog are more active and focused on muscle building, we’ll increase that number to 0.75g/day. If you weigh 220lbs, you need 165g/protein a day.

Three Custom Meals Designed To Lose Fat

1. Chicken, Sweet Potato Mash, and Green Beans

It’s tough to get any cleaner than this meal. Our super lean chicken breast clocks in at 6.25g of protein per ounce. Green Beans provide an incredible amount of nutrients in a calorically small package, and our sweet potato mash will keep you feeling full and energetic! This balanced and tasty meal is perfect for controlling weight.

2. Shrimp, Red Potatoes, and Broccoli 

Inspired by Louisiana crawfish boils, this meal features low-fat, high-protein shrimp that will keep hunger at bay without piling on the calories. Red potatoes provide valuable healthy fats (necessary for any healthy diet), a reasonable amount of carbs, and a bonus boost of protein. Broccoli provides an incredible amount of nutrients in a calorically small package.

3. Turkey Breast, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans

Feeling like some fall-favorite comfort food? Turkey is almost as protein-packed as chicken at 6g/oz, while still being super clean and lean. Add just a little oven roasted sweet potato for flavor balance and fiber, plus green beans to round out the carbs and add even more fiber. It’s a meal that will fill you up on just a few calories.

We’ll Do The Math For You!

Our website features a macro calculator that updates live as you select between portion sizes. It’s incredibly easy for you to find your perfect macro balance with a few clicks.

Just remember: if you’re active you need to consume roughly 0.5g of protein for every pound you weigh, daily.

Put together your custom meals today.

*https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx

The 4th of July around these parts means brisket. Combine Texas’s favorite cut of meat with a baked sweet potato and you’ve got a dangerously delicious and easy meal. Make it even easier by having us ship the brisket and seasoning directly to your door.

The Recipe

Prep time: 45 minutes (mostly baking the sweet potato)

Ingredients

• Large sweet potato
• 1 lb brisket
• ¼ cup ICON Tennessee Whiskey Flavor
• 2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh if possible)
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (more to taste)
• ¼ cup green onions (more to taste)

Instructions

1. Wash and dry all fresh produce.
2. Drizzle olive oil on sweet potato, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and bake in oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until tender.
3. In a large saucepan combine brisket, water, tomatoes, and ICON Tennessee Whiskey Flavor. Mix until thoroughly combined. Cook on high until simmering, then drop to medium low heat for 15 minutes.
4. When the sweet potato is done baking, remove from foil and place on serving plate. Cut one deep slice lengthwise and slightly squeeze ends to create a hollow “canoe.”
5. Fill sweet potato canoe with brisket mixture. Top with cheddar cheese and green onions.

Click here to buy 1lb of brisket

Click here to buy Tennessee Whiskey Seasoning

Actor and martial artist Ian Lauer has seen a ton of information out there on diets and training, but most of it is geared toward major weight loss — there’s not a lot available for those already in decent shape, wanting to take things to the next level. That’s why he’s sharing exactly how he exercised and what he ate to lose six pounds in four weeks while retaining strength and health.

WORKOUTS

“My workouts consist of five 20–35-minute resistance training sessions in my home gym, one body part per session. On average I do 4–6 exercises per workout and five sets of 10–15 reps.

For my cardio I engage in martial arts training 5–7 classes per week. Each class runs about an hour and varies in intensity. For your own cardio I suggest that you simply find an activity you enjoy doing regularly that gets your heart rate up. 

This has been my routine since the beginning of COVID-19. I didn’t change any of it during this four-week period.”

MEALS

“My eating was 90% ICON meals with an occasional protein shake and glass or two of wine or beer during the weekend. I flavored the meals with ICON seasonings, and a little ketchup once in a while.

These are my exact ICON meals for the entire 28 days broken down into a week-by-week order:

Week 1

• 5 Signature Blackened Salmon and Root Veggies
• 7 Custom Meals: Bison (8 oz), Saffron Rice (1 cup), Broccoli (2 oz)
• 5 Custom Meals: Ground Turkey (8 oz), Saffron Rice (1 cup)
• 7 Custom Breakfasts: Eggs (4), Bacon (5 oz), Oatmeal (1 cup)

Week 2

• 3 Signature Blackened Salmon and Root Veggies
• 2 Signature Masala Curry Chicken
• Identical Custom Meals to previous week

Week 3

• 3 Signature Salmon Rice and Green Beans
• 2 Signature Big Breakfasts
• Identical Custom Meals to previous weeks

Week 4

• 3 Signature Blackened Salmon, Rice, and Root Veggies
• 2 Signature BBQ Chicken Sliders
• Identical Custom Meals to previous weeks

It is possible to get great results while enjoying yourself, as long as you set yourself up for success. I’m happy to say ICON Meals does that for me. See what’s on the menu today.

Follow Ian on Instagram for more valuable content