Try This Simple, Yet Effective MMA Conditioning Workout
The first thing you want to do is design your MMA conditioning workout around your specific goals and needs. Pro fighters might have a different number of rounds and length than amateur. Grappler-specific athletes might want to train for the match length a particular promotion might be having (6 minute rounds versus four or five). Gi fighters might want to incorporate a addtional grip aspects to their training to simulate long rounds with a lot of stress on hands, fingers and bicep strength endurance.
Regardless, however your round scheme is, that is how you want to organize your workout. It's a simple, yet effective way to condition your body for combat sports.
Additionally, you will want to make your workout harder than your actual competition. Here are a couple of ways to do this:
1. Add more rounds to your workout. For example if you fight for three five-minute rounds, make your conditioning workout last for four five-minute rounds.
2. Make your training workout more intense. The easiest way to increase the intensity is to decrease your rest periods. If you get one minute of rest in the cage, give yourself 45 seconds of rest in the gym.
This way when you get in the ring or on the mat, you'll be over prepared.
Within each five minute "round" you need full body exercises and drills that closely mimic combat situations. Bodyweight exercises are great for this, as are sprinting and hill intervals. Use variety and include and other conditioning drills such as rope climbing, pull-ups, sledge hammer training and plyometric exercises.
Some fighters like Rich Franklin, Mario Sperry and Renato Sobrol also use weight machines during their circuits. And of course, sport specific drills like shadow boxing, timed wrestling drills, sprawls and takedown drills are very useful as well.
Here is just one of many sample MMA conditioning workouts you can use:
Squat jumps: 30 seconds
Shadow box 30: seconds
Hindu pushups: 30 seconds
Shadow box: 30 seconds
Situps/Hyperextensions: 30 seconds
Then repeat immediately but switch out the situps with hyperextensions.
This circuit lasts for only 5 minutes, but it blasts your entire body and also has you changing positions every 30 seconds. This simulates the dynamic nature of a mixed martial arts fight or grappling match where you are constantly changing positions and constantly utilizing different muscles and strength from various angles.
To complete the entire conditioning workout, you would follow this circuit with a period of rest lasting from one to three minutes. One minute should be your goal, but is probably going to be too short at first. After resting, repeat the circuit for another five minutes, or perform a different circuit. Put two or three of these circuits on top of each other and you have a brutal 10 to 15 minute conditioning workout that is very specific to MMA.
Regardless, however your round scheme is, that is how you want to organize your workout. It's a simple, yet effective way to condition your body for combat sports.
Additionally, you will want to make your workout harder than your actual competition. Here are a couple of ways to do this:
1. Add more rounds to your workout. For example if you fight for three five-minute rounds, make your conditioning workout last for four five-minute rounds.
2. Make your training workout more intense. The easiest way to increase the intensity is to decrease your rest periods. If you get one minute of rest in the cage, give yourself 45 seconds of rest in the gym.
This way when you get in the ring or on the mat, you'll be over prepared.
Within each five minute "round" you need full body exercises and drills that closely mimic combat situations. Bodyweight exercises are great for this, as are sprinting and hill intervals. Use variety and include and other conditioning drills such as rope climbing, pull-ups, sledge hammer training and plyometric exercises.
Some fighters like Rich Franklin, Mario Sperry and Renato Sobrol also use weight machines during their circuits. And of course, sport specific drills like shadow boxing, timed wrestling drills, sprawls and takedown drills are very useful as well.
Here is just one of many sample MMA conditioning workouts you can use:
Squat jumps: 30 seconds
Shadow box 30: seconds
Hindu pushups: 30 seconds
Shadow box: 30 seconds
Situps/Hyperextensions: 30 seconds
Then repeat immediately but switch out the situps with hyperextensions.
This circuit lasts for only 5 minutes, but it blasts your entire body and also has you changing positions every 30 seconds. This simulates the dynamic nature of a mixed martial arts fight or grappling match where you are constantly changing positions and constantly utilizing different muscles and strength from various angles.
To complete the entire conditioning workout, you would follow this circuit with a period of rest lasting from one to three minutes. One minute should be your goal, but is probably going to be too short at first. After resting, repeat the circuit for another five minutes, or perform a different circuit. Put two or three of these circuits on top of each other and you have a brutal 10 to 15 minute conditioning workout that is very specific to MMA.
