MMA Workout Routine by Derek Dreger

MMA is a sport that requires peak physical condition in all realms. This sport requires you to push, pull, kick, punch, move around, wrestle, manipulate your opponent, and keep your hands up all while being completely exhausted. You need great aerobic conditioning in order to recover while in between rounds and to ensure you are capable of going the distance. You also need anaerobic conditioning to ensure your muscles are capable of continuing the fight once all aerobic energy systems are depleted. Muscular endurance and strength will help to make sure that you are imposing your will on your opponent and are capable of doing so for a prolonged period of time. All in all you need to be in great physical shape.
So how does all this translate to the average Joe? Benefits include, increased performance, better health, less stress (your body copes with it alot better), and looking great with your shirt off. When your body is in top shape, day to day activities are much easier to complete. Not only will you be able to do more and not become tired as quickly, but having this new physical being gives you improved self confidence and helps you better cope with stress.
Training for an MMA fight requires a program designed to benefit all attributes mentioned above. There is a vast difference between training professionally for MMA and training for amateur bouts. For the average person looking to get in shape, following a program similar to that of an MMA gladiator will achieve great results.
A typical training week involves days of strength training, circuit workouts for muscular endurance and anaerobic conditioning, aerobic conditioning, and of course martial arts instruction - which also has an aerobic benefit.
Strength training days are usually very few when preparing for a fight, however in off time when trying to put on mass the number of days increases as well the type of workout changes. Strength training occurs very little, usually only once or twice a week, but lifts near maximal weight with low volume and greater rest periods. When training to acquire muscle mass the reps increase and the weight lowers slightly.
Aerobic conditioning typically occurs three or more times per week. For aerobic exercises an MMA athlete will find great results in running long distances, jumping rope and spending a lengthy amount of time doing bag work.
Anearobic conditioning is completed by exerting maximul force in short bursts for one to three minutes followed by three to nine minute periods of rest. The effort produced is maximal or near maximal and involve generally explosive movements.
Copyright (c) 2008 Derek Dreger

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Elements of an MMA Workout by Luke Schollmeyer

Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is one of the toughest, most intense sports around, requiring combatants to be at their peak fitness level and must have all-around strength, agility, and skill in order to be competitive. So, how exactly does one design a quality MMA workout?
Firstly, simply getting stronger is in order, which means basic strength training, preferrably with multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts, cleans, rows and push-presses. Heavy squats and deadlifts are some of the best leg and full-body exercises that a mixed martial arts fighter can do. It will build overall body strength and give you tremendous power. You should vary your routines. Some days heavy (1-3 reps with 10-15 sets or the classic 5x5), other days, higher repetition and lower sets. Squats give you the strength and speed for takedowns, kicking, and explosive techniques. Deadlifts develop your overall pulling power, core and grip strength.
Cleans and push-presses are the overall explosive exercises. Perform them together (a clean and press) with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and sandbags for arguably the very best single resistence exercise you could do to help develop your punching, pushing and driving power.
Plyometrics
Plyometric training involves practicing plyometric movements to toughen tissues and train nerve cells to stimulate a specific pattern of muscle contraction so the muscle generates as strong a contraction as possible in the shortest amount of time. A plyometric contraction involves first a rapid muscle lengthening movement, followed by a short resting phase, then an explosive muscle shortening movement, which enables the muscles that work together in doing the particular motion. Plyometric training engages the myostatic-reflex, which is the automatic contraction of muscle when their stretch nerve receptors are stimulated.
Plyometric exercises use explosive movements to develop muscular power, the ability to generate a large amount of force quickly. Plyometric training acts on the nerves, muscles, and tendons to increase an athlete's power output without necessarily increasing their maximum strength.
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
Aerobic exercise increases general fitness. Anaerobic exercise however, is also critical to top performance in the MMA fight because anaerobic preparation will allow you to avoid muscle tiring, or more importantly, work through fatigue. Muscle fatigue occurs when too much lactic acid builds up in the muscles. Outlasting your opponents means you must build up a tolerance for this natural occurrence. Circuits, complexes or sprints will broaden your lactic threshold. Sample MMA Workout Routine
As you can see, you will need to have a varied protocal for putting together a quality MMA workout. You will need to perform both strength resistance work along with plyometric and aerobic training as well.
The following is the weight routine made popular by Team Quest a la Randy Couture. It is an example of a "complex" and is an example of functional strength training and a good cardio workout as well.
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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Mixed Martial Arts Fighting, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai Fighting Training Tips for Repetition Drilling of Techniques. by Geoff Aitken
When first learning a new mixed martial arts fighting technique whether at the fundamental level or the more advanced it is important that we chunk it down into smaller, easily learned units. Once easily assimilated chunks are obtained these must be practiced with repetition to learn them. However, just repeating them over and over again in a session has its limitations.
Studies on a simple nervous system have shown that any more than 10 repetitions of a task in a session does not result in any increase to retention, in addition, performing only one session of learning a new piece of material results in very little retention over a long period as those of you who have been involved in training for serious mixed martial arts fighting are well aware.
The most useful method of repetition drilling to gain the most effective retention is to spread the repetitions over a number of sessions.A method that has shown a great deal of effect is to carry out 7 to 10 repetitions of a particular technique in a training session. And then carry out at least nine repeat review sessions over several days or weeks. The first repeat session can be within the same session. I would suggest near the end of the session. The following one a day after, then a week etc. The closer the review sessions are together the quicker the optimal retention is obtained.
Another common problem, that many of us experience in mixed martial arts fighting and Muay Thai Fighting, is that of boredom when training the number of repetitions required for drilling the techniques adequately. This is detrimental to retention as the learning process is seriously impaired when we are not concentrating.Disguising the repetitions in drills, combinations and games that utilize the particular skill involved is a very practical way that will assist you to get around this problem and allow you to increase the versatility of game by drilling the techniques with different set ups, combinations or counters being used against them.
Another more fundamental strategy that I use, particularly in working through my Muay Thai Fighting, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Fighting techniques, is to repetition the techniques as many times as I can until boredom is noticed, recording the number of repetitions performed in my training diary and then repeating the process in another training session. When using this strategy just develop a determined discipline to complete a predetermined number of repetitions. I would suggest a minimum of 60 spread over a 2 year period for maximum retention.
Bear in mind that this is for the learning and retention of a new technique, not the optimal refinement of it for the highest level of effectiveness that may be required for the rigors of competition in both mixed martial arts fighting and Muay Thai Fighting. This requires the development and sharpening of the various attributes required for optimal performance of the technique, such as: speed, timing, flow, balance, connectivity to the next move, variation adjustment, corrections in balance, preparedness for reaction to the opponent’s movement, etc.
Taking your mixed martial arts fighting skill to this level requires many more repetitions and exposing the performance of the technique to increasing levels of risk through controlled and on to random sparring.
To ensure the best learning of the technique start by learning and drilling the technique under totally cooperative conditions to get it right, this is theretention period discussed above.
Once a good level of efficacy is obtained, then try to use the technique in controlled sparring conditions or controlled performance drills in which your training partner presents moderate problems to deal with. As your efficacy increases start to utilize it in your sparring, at first against less experienced opponents working up to opponents of higher levels.

Dr Geoff Aitken, Ph.D. is a coach of Mixed Martial Arts Fighting, Muay Thai Fighting and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a former kick boxing champion with over 34 years of experience in mixed martial arts and 15 years as a bouncer. He holds a 6th degree Black Belt in Freestyle Karate (Goju Kai derivative), a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, certified trainer, referee and judge in Muay Thai Fighting and has trained numerous national and international champions in Muay Thai Fighting, BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts. He has just released a DVD series packed full of concepts and techniques for set ups and Bridging the Gap in Muay Thai Fighting, Mixed Martial Arts fighting and the street self defense situation. Grab your free video and audio clips on Mixed Martial Arts Fighting at http://www.UltimateFightingSystems.com
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