Time and time again I have seen athletes stroll into a competitive event, game,race, etc. thinking that their talent and skills will take them through untouched to the finish and time and time again they came back with their heads hanging low. The only way to succeed in today's athletic realm, no matter the sport you play, you have absolutely got to have a smart strength and conditioning program in place. This is especially true for the sport of MMA.
Even before MMA burst on the scene the importance of strength and conditioning was hugely recognized by arguably one of the most important figures in martial arts, Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee revolutionized fitness and strength by testing various training modalities, nutrition, and other unique methods of physical testing on himself and his students that most people at the time did not engage in. This growth of conditioning the athletic body spread into other sports such as football, basketball, and eventually baseball through the years to follow. The olympic athletes always understood this, but the sporting community eventually embraced this relatively new world of strength and conditioning.
You see as a strength and conditioning professional I can tell you that today MMA athletes have to be physically prepared more so than ever before. The guys and girls that are succeeding in this sport, as well as others, have smart well planned programs that they utilize in order to build super fit bodies. The beauty of martial arts is that it is such a physical sport in the first place that within it's fiber lies the promotion of improving one's mobility, flexibility, and conditioning, however this is amplified with the add on of a sound strength and conditioning program. Its really simple. If you can't go longer and harder than your competition then you will get beat, period!
I personally believe in the implementation of a strength program that includes all the elements of physical training. You should improve on your strength, power, mobility, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness at the same time. By improving these areas you will become faster, stronger, and very resilient. The key though is knowing what training modalities will breed you these results. I have included a list below of some various training drills that I like to use on myself and my fighters on a regular basis:
Even before MMA burst on the scene the importance of strength and conditioning was hugely recognized by arguably one of the most important figures in martial arts, Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee revolutionized fitness and strength by testing various training modalities, nutrition, and other unique methods of physical testing on himself and his students that most people at the time did not engage in. This growth of conditioning the athletic body spread into other sports such as football, basketball, and eventually baseball through the years to follow. The olympic athletes always understood this, but the sporting community eventually embraced this relatively new world of strength and conditioning.
You see as a strength and conditioning professional I can tell you that today MMA athletes have to be physically prepared more so than ever before. The guys and girls that are succeeding in this sport, as well as others, have smart well planned programs that they utilize in order to build super fit bodies. The beauty of martial arts is that it is such a physical sport in the first place that within it's fiber lies the promotion of improving one's mobility, flexibility, and conditioning, however this is amplified with the add on of a sound strength and conditioning program. Its really simple. If you can't go longer and harder than your competition then you will get beat, period!
I personally believe in the implementation of a strength program that includes all the elements of physical training. You should improve on your strength, power, mobility, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness at the same time. By improving these areas you will become faster, stronger, and very resilient. The key though is knowing what training modalities will breed you these results. I have included a list below of some various training drills that I like to use on myself and my fighters on a regular basis:
- Kettlebell Training
- Olympic Weight Training
- Plyometric Training
- Body Resistance Training
- Footwork Speed & Agility