Beat Down: How the Top MMA Fighters Train for a Bloodbath
Written by Dane Fletcher Wednesday, 17 January 2007
It was the mid-1990s and the Ultimate Fighting Championship was doing great business by promoting its events as the "bloodiest, most violent fighting you will ever see. Skeptics referred to the mixed-martial arts battles as "human cockfights."Switch back to 2004, and the UFC has slowly but surely created a niche for itself. Sure, it's probably still the bloodiest fighting you may see, but now it's ready to go mainstream.When the UFC began in 1993, it was a plan to make some bucks on pay-per-view in which fighters from different fighting disciplines all fought in one tournament to see who was the best and answer the age-old question of "who would win a fight between a boxer and a wrestler?""It was such a hit on pay-per-view it was making money, but one of the big problems they faced was in the matchmaking and the way they marketed it," said UFC president Dana White. "That did the job of selling pay-per-view, but it created a negative image. It wasn't a bad idea, but they never expected this to become a sport."Still, to the untrained eye, mixed-martial arts fighting can often have the look of two men in an octagon-shaped cage trying desperately to rip one another's arms off and beat them with the bloody stump. While this perception may cause conniption fits for UFC purists. Even most UFC fighters will readily admit that they are drawn to the sport for its competitive violence."Basically it's just a never-ending battle," welterweight Robbie Lawler said. "I just do it because I enjoy it. It's who I am. If you knock someone out you definitely feel it.While eye-catching (and eye-dislocating) knockouts are always the big draw for any fight fan, UFC fights can often descend into a virtual scrum, with the fight becoming a test of wills and conditioning.Because of this, mixed-martial arts fighters generally have training routines that incorporate several different methods. Weight-lifting, running and other cardio work, wrestling and sparring all have their place for ultimate fighters, with each fighter finding a routine that not only increases endurance and strength, but also helps his individual fighting style.Most fighters will train according to their fight schedules. Weight training becomes a pariah when a fighter gets closer to a scheduled fight, as fighters look to maximize strength, cardio and flexibility.Randy Couture, is one of the UFC's most popular fighters (and at 40 one of its oldest) uses both tried-and-true and modern training methods to prepare for a fight, as well as a year-round routine that includes running and weight training."I like to have about eight-to-10 weeks before a fight," Couture said. "I'll train twice a day for three hours, running sprints, doing plyometric exercises, weight training. I like to taper 10 days out, no lifting or sparring."Weight training for mixed-martial arts fighters tends to be a fine line. Power and speed go hand-in-hand in the octagon, and most fighters train for strength and conditioning rather than size.Pure strength will always play a role in MMA fighting, but one needs only look at a recent fight card for one of UFC's competitors, K-1. Former sumo grand master Akebono came into the ring at nearly 500 pounds to take on former NFL star Bob Sapp.An imposing figure himself at 6-foot-7, 344 pounds, Sapp quickly figured out how to avoid the 6-foot-8 Akebono's powerful rushes then quickly beat Akebono to the canvas for a first-round knockout."I trained hard for two months," said Akebono after regaining lucidity. "I had no idea how strong Bob was, but tonight I was able to experience his strength."A typical weight training routine for an MMA fighter can include power cleans and snatches, bodyweight and jump squats. Lower reps are the norm and extra bulk could mean trouble making weight. Still, fighters like former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, who tips the scale at 275, will spend hours in the gym working on bulk when they have no fight scheduled.For a fighter like Lawler, speed is the key, so he must contain his inner drive to bulk up in the weight room."Before I was kind of a power lifter, scrunt guy," Lawler said. "Now with weights I work mostly on my back and trunk, which is where a fighter's power comes from."Where MMA fighters get the majority of their training, however, is in the cage. Both Lawler and Sylvia train in Davenport, Iowa under the watchful eye of Pat Miletich. Having several competitive fighters working together is an added plus for most fighters."It's hard to get a big head around here because we all just beat on each other," Sylvia said. "I'll go 12 (three-minute) rounds a day and then work on my grappling."Like most modern athletes, MMA fighters have incorporated nutrition into their workouts. Most will use supplements such as creatine as well as diets created specifically for them."At my age, it's all about recovery," Couture said. "I take a super-green powder called LightForce three times a day that gives you all the power from green vegetables. You can only sit around and eat so much salad."While most UFC fighters will downplay the use of steroids in training, most will admit there are fighters they know who will go that route.Last year, Sylvia tested positive in a post-fight drug test for the steroid Winstrol. Sylvia, who was UFC heavyweight champion at the time, admitted to using the steroid and was suspended for six months. Instead of being viewed as being a negative, however, White and crew look at it as a success of the new UFC."He's a real good kid, he made a mistake, he knows it, and he knows I don't condone it at all," White said. "The athletic commissions do all the drug tests for us now. We wanted to be regulated and it's paying off."Sylvia has since returned, and the 275-pound heavyweight said his foray into steroids was a mistake. And while Sylvia said he has a love for training, he's in the UFC for one reason - to knock people out."The first time I ever fought in an MMA tournament I had to pay $25 to get in," Sylvia said. " I knocked the guy out in 12 seconds. It was worth a few bucks to have that feeling."RANDY COUTURENickname: The NaturalAge: 40Style: WrestlingAchievements: An Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling alternate for the U.S. in four Olympics. Has done several commercials and also had a recurring role as a corrections officer on HBO's "Oz". "I told my mom the first time I was on, she ended up watching it and calling me ‘What kind of show is this, do you have your clothes on?' I said ‘Mom, I'm a cop on the show, I keep my clothes on."Views on steroid use: "Coming from the background I come from, it's not only frowned upon it's hard to get away with. I knew on occasion my opponents were rumored to be using something but it never really bothered me. Most of those guys tended to get tired very quickly. My opinion is they aren't going to win fights. I never saw the need to take shortcuts, they just want to avoid the hard work."Nutrition: Uses a variety of supplements. "I use joint compound, multivitamins, recovery drinks, a pretty wide selection." Couture also takes Light-Force, a supplement that gives you a high dosage of nutrients from green vegetables. "It handles a lot of the acids you get from working out," Couture said.Workout Routine: Geared specifically for the sport. Couture does a lot of reps on metabolic-type circuits for his shoulders and back, hip areas, usually twice a week. He also incorporates Olympic-type training, with squats and presses. Road work, on varying levels, is always part of the routine and Couture trains year-round, keeping his weight down. Couture also thanks a higher power for his physical prowess. "I've been blessed with pretty good genetics, no joint problems which is pretty much unheard of in this sport.KEN SHAMROCKNickname: The World's Most Dangerous ManHeight, Weight: 6-foot-1, 205 poundsAge: 40Style: Submission FightingStanding: Heavyweight contenderRecord: 6-3-2Achievements: The UFC's most recognizable name, Shamrock competed in UFC's first event, The Beginning. Defeated Dan "The Beast" Severn by submission with a guillotine choke just 2:14 into the contest in 1995 to be crowned the first UFC Super Fight Champion. Shamrock spent a year with World Wrestling Entertainment before returning to mixed-martial arts fighting. "It was a great experience for me. It was taxing with all the traveling you have to do. My hats are off to those guys. They are true warriors."Views on steroid use: Dabbled in steroids as a younger athlete, but avoids them now. "When you take steroids, they will make you stronger, but it's going to take its toll on you, it's a false strength. Everybody is pressed to win, new fighters are young and there is a lot of pressure on winning."Nutrition: Shamrock is one of the few UFC fighters who doesn't use much in the way of supplements. He has concerns that Creatine may cause cramping. "I wouldn't use a meal replacement. In training, I try and eat a lot of chicken, turkey, egg-whites, plain vegetables, anything that I can steam that's not frozen. I also drink lots of water."Workout Routine: Shamrock works with weights up to three weeks before a fight, focusing on high reps. Closing in on a fight, cardio becomes the key. He will run, spar five, five-minute rounds, jump rope and work on his grappling. "I cut out the weights the closer it gets to a fight," Shamrock said. "I'll do sit-ups and spar five-five minute rounds, and really work hard on my cardio."TIM SYLVIANickname: The Maine-iacHeight, Weight: 6-foot-8, 265 poundsAge: 27Style: Miletich Fighting SystemsStanding: Former heavyweight championRecord: 18-0-0Views on steroid use: In October 2003, the Nevada State Athletic Commission fined Sylvia $7,500 and suspended him four months after being tested positive for Winstrol. "After I fought Rico I had a little bit of body fat that I wanted to take off. Everyone said ‘this is water based, it will go right through you.' I didn't see any results, so I stopped using it, but it showed up on the test," Sylvia said.Nutrition: Sylvia uses amino acids, Creatine, Hydroxy Cut and other supplements in his training. Sylvia came into the UFC at 337 pounds, and has done a solid job at the dinner plate as well as the ring. "I try to only do one cheat day a week. Six to eight weeks before a fight I'll have a cup of carbs every three hours. No candy bars or any type of sugar. It's part of the career, part of the job," Sylvia said.Workout Routine: Prior to fights, Sylvia works one body part a day on weights, does minor roadwork and works on his fighting skills up to six hours a day. "Two weeks before, it's really hard. You're breaking down and crying. It's balls to the wall. Sparring 12 rounds straight, everything."ROBBIE LAWLERNickname: RuthlessAge: 22Height, Weight: 5-foot-11, 170Style: Miletich Fighting SystemsStanding: Welterweight contenderRecord: 4-1-0Views on steroid use: Doesn't use them, and adds that steroids won't help what a fighter needs most. "I think that's just a way to make up for a lack of hard work. If you get punched steroids aren't going to help."Nutrition supplements: Uses Creatine, Protein, Amino Acids, Cytomax and recovery drinks. "The supplements just help me recover." While his youth allows him a bit more flexibility in his nutrition, Lawler still pays attention to what goes in his body. "Right now I'm eating three-to-one carbs to protein, which I'm doing for a more lean body. I started doing more running."Workout Routine: Works weights hard up to three weeks before a fight, concentrating on his back and shoulders for a good power base. Lawler is now working to get more lean and quick, after spending his high school days pounding away at the bench press. "I love working out, because there's so many variables. I do alot of timed About the Author: Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com , a leading online provider of Steroids and Bodybuilding Supplements. For more information, please visit http://www.getanabolics.com/.
Article Source: http://www.articleblast.com/
About The Author:About the Author: Dane Fletcher is the world's foremost training authority. He writes exclusively for GetAnabolics.com , a leading online provider of creatine and clenbuterol. For more information, please visit http://www.getanabolics.com/.

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.

Want to boost your chances in the ring, cage or mat? Want to ensure you have gas in the tank when you need it? Don't leave your conditioning to chance with questionable MMA workouts.
Turbo charge your conditioning with a blend of old school techniques put together with cutting edge science and battle-tested experience.
Check out our free MMA workouts for you to try.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

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
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

The Right Way to Train for MMA by Impact Martial

Contact sports such as mixed martial arts have gained tremendous popularity over the last couple of decades. It is not as if people have suddenly woken up to this sport, it is just that this martial art form is much more exciting and fast paced than some of the other contact sports that are popular in the United States. These contact sport games are ideal to develop quick reflexes and an agile mind. Martial arts are said to be the ideal platform for the all round development of an individual. They are rightly said to be a means to exercise both the mind and the body.
The city of Austin, Texas has established itself as one of the foremost cities in the U.S. for training in kickboxing and mma. Students from all over the continental United States come here with the dreams of becoming the next kickboxing or karate champion. To find yourself a good place to learn martial arts, all you have to do is to type in the keywords martial arts Austin, tx and you will find many results for martial art training academies. Make a shortlist of at least five institutes in Austin and choose one after researching each one of them using the criteria explained below.
Choosing a good academy and teacher are very important if you want to learn mma. Experts in mixed martial arts make use of both striking and grappling techniques to disable their opponents. You need to enrol yourself in an academy that is equipped with instructors who can draw their expertise from a wide range of contact sports like wrestling and boxing. The best mma training institutes in Austin have instructors who are well versed in many Southeast Asian contact sports. This expertise will stand you in good stead when you participate in a competition as you will be able to confuse your opponent by using unusual body thrusts.
One of the ways by which you can identify a good training academy is to see if they have separate courses for beginners. The best institutes have separate beginner�s camps for children. A separate course for beginners is essential because you have to increase your general fitness levels before getting to practice the basics of mixed martial arts techniques. If an institute co-ordinator says that there is no separation of courses for beginners, then you can be sure that they do not follow any structured methodology and such places should therefore be avoided.
Another method by which you can get to know which mma training institute is good for you is by checking out their emphasis on safety. The state of Texas has set some really strict rules to ensure the safety of mixed martial arts matches. This is a sport that allows blows to be traded across all parts of the body, so the use of safety equipment is a must even while training. Institutes in Austin have a good safety record and that is why this martial art form has flourished in the state of Texas.

Greg Fisher is author of this article on Mma Austin. Find more information about karate classes austin here.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com