By Chess McDoogle
Strength and conditioning are HUGE for being an effective mixed martial artist, and surviving inside the cage.
You need the strength to handle your opponent effectively while delivering powerful strikes and executing strong take downs.
Conditioning is enormous for being able to endure the action inside the cage. You can be an excellent fighter, but if your conditioning is not on par, you can be beaten easily by a lesser fighter who can better go the distance. Despite size, strength and skill, if you can out-condition your opponent then you can go the distance and the chances of picking up the win is greatly increased.
There are proper MMA training tips for developing strength and achieving top level conditioning, and then there are improper ways to go about these important fighting factors. Here's how to properly achieve the best of each:
Here's an important MMA training tip for STRENGTH:
Do not train like a bodybuilder. This is one of the most common mistakes fighters make when training for strength. They figure the bigger the muscles the stronger they will become. They hire trainers or follow routines which are more bodybuilder based as opposed to cage fighter based. Take a look at power lifters and strength athletes in lower weight classes. Many are extremely strong, but do not possess the typical bodybuilder look. While big muscle can indeed lead to increased strength, you always want to train with the opposite priorities in mind. Focus on strength building workouts over, say, "big bicep" type workouts. You will still build muscle as a side to becoming stronger, but it will be functional muscle as opposed to show boat type muscle.
Now here's a MMA training tip for CONDITIONING.
Focus on explosive cardiovascular work as opposed to long distance style cardiovascular work. While running and other long distance style training is important for building up your cardio, the more important conditioning work should be in the form of explosive movements for short duration intervals. Sprints for instance, combined with a variety of other drills done at near full throttle for short periods followed with brief rest and continued again are ideal for top notch conditioning. You have to mimic the action that the body is going to endure in the ring. A continuous moderate paced long distance run is not going to cut it. Rather high intensity interval style drills prepare the body for the pressures of the cage and the fast, full throttle pace that you need to endure.
Strength and conditioning are HUGE for being an effective mixed martial artist, and surviving inside the cage.
You need the strength to handle your opponent effectively while delivering powerful strikes and executing strong take downs.
Conditioning is enormous for being able to endure the action inside the cage. You can be an excellent fighter, but if your conditioning is not on par, you can be beaten easily by a lesser fighter who can better go the distance. Despite size, strength and skill, if you can out-condition your opponent then you can go the distance and the chances of picking up the win is greatly increased.
There are proper MMA training tips for developing strength and achieving top level conditioning, and then there are improper ways to go about these important fighting factors. Here's how to properly achieve the best of each:
Here's an important MMA training tip for STRENGTH:
Do not train like a bodybuilder. This is one of the most common mistakes fighters make when training for strength. They figure the bigger the muscles the stronger they will become. They hire trainers or follow routines which are more bodybuilder based as opposed to cage fighter based. Take a look at power lifters and strength athletes in lower weight classes. Many are extremely strong, but do not possess the typical bodybuilder look. While big muscle can indeed lead to increased strength, you always want to train with the opposite priorities in mind. Focus on strength building workouts over, say, "big bicep" type workouts. You will still build muscle as a side to becoming stronger, but it will be functional muscle as opposed to show boat type muscle.
Now here's a MMA training tip for CONDITIONING.
Focus on explosive cardiovascular work as opposed to long distance style cardiovascular work. While running and other long distance style training is important for building up your cardio, the more important conditioning work should be in the form of explosive movements for short duration intervals. Sprints for instance, combined with a variety of other drills done at near full throttle for short periods followed with brief rest and continued again are ideal for top notch conditioning. You have to mimic the action that the body is going to endure in the ring. A continuous moderate paced long distance run is not going to cut it. Rather high intensity interval style drills prepare the body for the pressures of the cage and the fast, full throttle pace that you need to endure.