Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is one of the toughest, most rigorous sports around, requiring combatants to be their top fitness levels. All-around strength, agility, and skill are needed to be competitive. So, how exactly does one formulate a quality MMA workout?
Simply getting stronger is first in order, which means basic strength training. Multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts, cleans, rows and push-presses are preferred. Heavy squats and deadlifts are some of the best leg and full-body exercises that a combat athlete can do, allowing you to build overall body strength and tremendous power. Make sure vary your routines. Some days heavy (1-3 reps with 10-15 sets or the classic 5x5), and other days, higher repetition and lower sets (6-10 reps of 3-4 sets). Squats give you the base strength and speed for takedowns and kicking. Deadlifts develop your overall pulling power, core and grip strength.
Cleans and push-presses are good overall explosive exercises. Perform them together (a clean and press) with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and sandbags for arguably the very best single resistance exercise which develops punching, pushing and driving power.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics are exercises in which a eccentric muscle contraction (like the lowering portion from a chin-up) is quickly followed by a concentric muscle contraction (like in the raising portion into a chin-up). So, to sum up, when a muscle is rapidly contracted and lengthened, and then immediately followed with a further contraction and shortening, that is a plyometic motion.
Plyometric exercises are used to generate a large amount of force quickly and plyometric training acts on the nerves, muscles, and tendons to increase an athlete's power output. All of this is typically done without necessarily increasing their maximum strength. Additionally, plyometrics are helpful to injury prevention since they force the muscle to contract rapidly from a full stretch position where muscles tend to be at their weakest point. By conditioning in this way, the athlete is better prepared to handle the varied stress in a real or game environment.
Standing vertical jumps or box jumps are example lower body plyometric exercises. Explosive push-ups (pushups with a clap, for example) and throwing a medicine ball up to 10-ft. target on the wall are good upper-body examples.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
Aerobics increases general fitness. Anaerobics, too, are needed for top performance in am MMA fight because anaerobic training will allow you to avoid muscle tiring, or more accurately, work through fatigue. Muscle fatigue occurs when too much lactic acid builds up in the muscles. Building up a tolerance for this natural occurrence is key to outlasting your opponents. Circuits, complexes or sprints will expand your lactic threshold.
Sample MMA Workout Routine
You will need to have a varied protocol for putting together a quality MMA workout, incorporating both strength training with plyometric and aerobic training as well.
The following is the weight routine made popular by Team Quest a la Randy Couture. It is a "complex" and is an example of functional strength training with a good cardio component.
Here it is:
Bent rows x 8
Upright rows x 8
Military press x 8
Good morning x 8
Lunges x 8 (each leg)
Squat push press x 8 (squat, then perform a push-press)
Deadlift x 8
The trick is that you use one bar, not changing the weight, but never stopping during the set. Rest 1 minute between each set. Perform 3-5 sets. Try starting out with a 95-lbs. loaded Olympic bar and see how it goes. Sounds light, doesn''t it? Try it and tell me how you fared.
Simply getting stronger is first in order, which means basic strength training. Multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts, cleans, rows and push-presses are preferred. Heavy squats and deadlifts are some of the best leg and full-body exercises that a combat athlete can do, allowing you to build overall body strength and tremendous power. Make sure vary your routines. Some days heavy (1-3 reps with 10-15 sets or the classic 5x5), and other days, higher repetition and lower sets (6-10 reps of 3-4 sets). Squats give you the base strength and speed for takedowns and kicking. Deadlifts develop your overall pulling power, core and grip strength.
Cleans and push-presses are good overall explosive exercises. Perform them together (a clean and press) with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and sandbags for arguably the very best single resistance exercise which develops punching, pushing and driving power.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics are exercises in which a eccentric muscle contraction (like the lowering portion from a chin-up) is quickly followed by a concentric muscle contraction (like in the raising portion into a chin-up). So, to sum up, when a muscle is rapidly contracted and lengthened, and then immediately followed with a further contraction and shortening, that is a plyometic motion.
Plyometric exercises are used to generate a large amount of force quickly and plyometric training acts on the nerves, muscles, and tendons to increase an athlete's power output. All of this is typically done without necessarily increasing their maximum strength. Additionally, plyometrics are helpful to injury prevention since they force the muscle to contract rapidly from a full stretch position where muscles tend to be at their weakest point. By conditioning in this way, the athlete is better prepared to handle the varied stress in a real or game environment.
Standing vertical jumps or box jumps are example lower body plyometric exercises. Explosive push-ups (pushups with a clap, for example) and throwing a medicine ball up to 10-ft. target on the wall are good upper-body examples.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
Aerobics increases general fitness. Anaerobics, too, are needed for top performance in am MMA fight because anaerobic training will allow you to avoid muscle tiring, or more accurately, work through fatigue. Muscle fatigue occurs when too much lactic acid builds up in the muscles. Building up a tolerance for this natural occurrence is key to outlasting your opponents. Circuits, complexes or sprints will expand your lactic threshold.
Sample MMA Workout Routine
You will need to have a varied protocol for putting together a quality MMA workout, incorporating both strength training with plyometric and aerobic training as well.
The following is the weight routine made popular by Team Quest a la Randy Couture. It is a "complex" and is an example of functional strength training with a good cardio component.
Here it is:
Bent rows x 8
Upright rows x 8
Military press x 8
Good morning x 8
Lunges x 8 (each leg)
Squat push press x 8 (squat, then perform a push-press)
Deadlift x 8
The trick is that you use one bar, not changing the weight, but never stopping during the set. Rest 1 minute between each set. Perform 3-5 sets. Try starting out with a 95-lbs. loaded Olympic bar and see how it goes. Sounds light, doesn''t it? Try it and tell me how you fared.
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