Strength and Conditioning for MMA Fighting 101
Strength and Conditioning basics for MMA fighting:
If you’ve been following this column, you know I am training to fight, as well as working with some of the top up and coming fighters in the Denver area. I have also had the opportunity to prepare an Olympic wrestling hopeful a few years back. Based on these experiences, it is apparent to me that the name of the game is ‘energy systems’ manipulation. If you are going to be on top of your game when it comes time to step into the ring, you not only need to have a solid skill set both on your feet and on the ground, but in my opinion, you have to be the better conditioned athlete. Conditioning will always give you the upper hand. When you fatigue, your reaction time and strength both diminish quickly, allowing your opponent to dominate you…regardless of your skill level. It takes countless hours of training skill sets. Think about how many times a week and for how many years you need to train to become a black belt in any one of the many martial art styles used in the ring. Now think about how simple it is to commit 3-6 hours a week to conditioning.
I am going to give you the most basic solutions for fight conditioning. It is easy to get ahead of yourself and think about all of the things you could be doing. But unless you block the time and make the commitment to some good old fashioned suffering each and every week, you are never going to be in the shape you need to be in to fight competitively. What I am going to lay out today, consists of the most basic foundational movements for fighting, they are all body weight based and require little to no equipment. What they do require is a full mind and body commitment. If you are confused about what that means, please see my blog on “intensity”.
I see a lot of people in the gyms these days trying to do the “300” workout, or doing crazy WOD stuff off of cross fit, or trying to copy Brian Urlacher’s workouts. It’s funny as hell to me, because the majority of the people I see doing this stuff don’t have the core stability required to do the most basic lifts properly, then they are so out of shape, that they make it through the first set and sit down with their heads in their hands wondering why they are doing what they are doing at all. Occasionally, I see a well conditioned athlete going through the proper preparatory movements, getting warmed up, mentally and physically, then attacking the exercises and keeping a close eye on his heart rate monitor or stop watch in between every set. These guys don’t just drip sweat in the gym, the radiate the type of energy that is absolutely necessary for taking your fitness to the next level. It’s about training with purpose, not just going through the motions.
Here’s what you need; a clock with a second hand, a pull up bar, a dipping station or bench to do dips off of, a heavy bag or jump rope, and if you are on top of it, get your heart rate monitor out and put it on! Again, since these are all body weight exercises, it is easy to do a couple of “warm up circuits” and work your way into the target zones in the later sets. Set your circuit up like this: push up, dip, pull up, leg raise, crunch, body weight squat, heavy bag or jump rope. The goal of conditioning to fight is to train your body to work as hard as or harder at the end of three minute round than it did in the first minute and furthermore, to be able to make it through at least 5 rounds without gassing! Over time, we can add much more complex exercises that are much more “sport specific”, but right now, we are working on three to five minute rounds with one minute of recovery between rounds. This is simple; it mimics what you are doing when you are in the ring. Think about all the time you’ve spent sparring, grappling, whatever on the clock, and how quickly you find yourself trying to back peddle, or make space so you can catch your breath. We are going to fix that! You should be doing this workout at least twice a week, and up to four times! You should plan on making it a “foundational” or “daily” routine once you get used to it. By that, I mean, give yourself 6 weeks of practicing it, and then use it as a recovery day session, or for rainy days when you aren’t motivated to get into heavy squatting, power cleaning, and box jumps!
You are going to use the first circuit to determine total time it takes you to complete the circuit, then you are going to try and beat the number of reps and the time on each of the following circuits. The constants are going to be the exercises, and the one minute of recovery you get between each circuit. So, here we go: push ups to fail, then immediately to dips to fail, pull ups to fail, stay hanging on the bar and do leg raises to fail….you can do these however you see fit, I like to start with slightly bent knees and bring my feet all the way up to the bar, once I start swinging, or getting tired, I switch into just throwing high knees, (muy tai style), drop to the floor and bust out 30 bicycles (twisting crunches, opposite knee to opposite elbow), then pop up and jump rope or throw kicks on the bag for 1 minute. That is your circuit! Again, this is pretty simple stuff. The key is to make it sport specific, and to keep your focus on what it is you’re training for. I see fighters all the time busting out these lame ass push ups with hardly any range of motion, I wonder where their heads are at when they are doing them. When I’m doing push ups, I think about throwing jabs. Do I just want to leave my hands out there, or do I want to snap them back to cover up my face? The answer should be obvious, your push up is essentially practicing a jab, touch your fucking chest to the floor! Dip is the same thing, the last time I checked, when someone is in mount on me, and I want to shrimp out, I need to push there thigh down and away, this is the same motion as a dip…think about it…put it into perspective, and do a full range of motion dip….get your nipple line down to the bar! How about pull ups? Think about being in a clinch and not just pulling your chest to the bar, but literally pulling the guys fucking head off as you pull yourself up! Bicycles, yeah, ever get excited about throwing elbows and knees? Here is your opportunity to practice….and rumor has it, that it’s the most effective abs exercise we know of! Body weight squats…keep your chest up, ass down, every watch Rampage Jackson throw somebody on their head? Yeah, think about that. Every throw originates from explosive hip drive. Make it happen! When you finish with bag work or jump rope, think about what you are training for, how bad do you want it? Why are you here? Who is going to be in better shape? You or your opponent? Remember, that there is always someone else out there training harder. Is it you, or the other guy?
Again, we are trying to mimic your rounds in a fight, so keep your rest to a strict minute. PERIOD! This is what will get you results. Once you get through two or three rounds of this, it is going to be all too easy to mentally surrender, and want to take a longer recovery time. This is where you lose the fight. You are not training to be comfortable, fighting and competing is not comfortable. Train to be mentally and physically tough. When you are recovering, take a sip of water, and work on breathing in through your nose, and out through your mouth, try and lengthen your exhalations, as this will allow your body to push out the built up CO2 in your system and recover much faster. Write down how many reps you got on each exercise so you can try and beat it on the next round! Work up to 5 total rounds and repeat for 6 weeks. Take note of how much easier it is to look your sparring partner in the face and know you are going to dominate him in every round because you are not going to gas out!
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ill have to try this and write back keep me posted
That helps me is to think of this pain as pleasure. pain makes me grow. growing is what i want. therefore for me, pain is pleasure. and so when i experience pain i’m in heaven. it’s great for All Muscle Building efforts.
Well said. “FREE THE DUMB TIM!” The road seldom traveled by the multitude.
Building muscle is hard because you have to FORCE the body to grow and adapt. It hates change. The same thing with strength and endurance. All are different adaptions on the body that it hates to do.
Beautiful man! i like it, i do something similiar to that, i just started training about 8 months ago for mma in arizona, although i also use my brother who is 5"6 170 lbs to use as a take down dummy, and im 5"6 145...haha.. but good tips for everyone! just make sure to continue changing up your routine and making it harder and harder or before it comes time to fight your going to plateau and u wont reach your peak before the fight.
Its take little bit strain to build your muscles. But it makes you to be a strong and in good health.
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I like to start with slightly bent knees and bring my feet all the way up to the bar, once I start swinging, or getting tired, I switch into just throwing high knees, (muy tai style), drop to the floor and bust out 30 bicycles (twisting crunches, opposite knee to opposite elbow), then pop up and jump rope or throw kicks on the bag for 1 minute. Buy Generic Viagra Cheap
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This is simple; it mimics what you are doing when you are in the ring. Think about all the time you’ve spent sparring, grappling, whatever on the clock, and how quickly you find yourself trying to back peddle, or make space so you can catch your breath. chi walking
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Make it happen! When you finish with bag work or jump rope, think about what you are training for, how bad do you want it? Why are you here? Who is going to be in better shape? You or your opponent? Remember, that there is always someone else out there training harder. Is it you, or the other guy? Hoodia Diet Supplement
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