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/Article/Elements-of-an-MMA-Workout/483477

5 Simple Ways To Intensify Your MMA Conditioning by Luke Schollmeyer
If you're an MMA fighter or grappler, you need more than just "typical" stuff that passes for conditioning these days. To prepare yourself with the cardiovascular endurance that grinds your opponent down and strength, even at the end of the last round, that can always be called upon, you need need to train with loaded movements and sand bags and kettlebells are some of the best ways are to perform these kinds of movements.
But why these two tools? For one, loaded movements improve your overall conditioning, but in a way where you are simulating primary movements in your sport. Lifting and moving "odd objects" through force is like moving your opponent. Second, by lifting in "rounds" (just like in your competitions), you can work to improve your lactic threshold.
Certainly, stairs, sprints and jumping rope are great for general conditioning and are a part of your overall workout, but little matches the conditioning you get with loaded movements.
Here are some additional techniques for intensifying your MMA conditioning:
Supersets - One can really push your metabolism by using opposing muscles groups, like chest and back or upper and lower body, to perform a fast-paced strength workout. A sample super set with kettlebells and sand bags could be 5 x 5 of clean and press on KBs and 5 x 5 of sand bag squats. Perform a five-rep set of the clean and presses, rest one minute and then do a five-rep set of sandbag squats. Repeat this super set five times.
Burpees - Adding a kettlebell or sandbag with the demanding burpee pushes the intensity through the roof. So, rather than performing the jump portion, clean and press your sandbag or kettlebells overhead.
Circuits - Circuits are two or more exercises performed together. Your strength endurance will greatly improve training this way with your heavy sandbags and kettlebells. Take this sample circuit:
1. Sandbag bent over row x 82. Clean and press with kettlebell x 5 (each arm)3. Sandbag stiff-legged deadlift x 8 repsPerform the above circuit for 5 rounds.
Couplets are amalgams of a sandbag or kettlebell exercise with a bodyweight movement - An example of a couplet routine are 2 armswings and bodyweight squats for 3 x 20 reps each.
Rounds - Pick three or more exercises and perform as many sets as possible with a proposeed number of reps. You might have to do repetitions in descending pattern such as 21 reps on the first set, 15 on the next set and 9 reps per exercise on the last set. By recording your time on these rounds, you can try to better that time the next time around.
A sample set of rounds:
Sandbag clean and press2-hand kettlebell swingsWalking lunges with sandbag
So, your first round you'll do 21 reps of cleans, 21 reps of the swings and then 21 lunges, next round is repeated, but using 15 reps for each exercise. Then, 9 rounds.
By using the varying methods above you can absolutely kick your MMA conditioning into overdrive!
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/Article/5-Simple-Ways-To-Intensify-Your-MMA-Conditioning/599456