One of the most destructive mind-sets that we can develop is that of being too old for a particular pursuit, especially Muay Thai and Mixed Martial arts training. In my opinion the excuses they use are just excuses born out of laziness and as they watch themselves degenerate into a senescent creature they fall into the stereotypical middle age mind set that that brings with it all the expected health problems.
I have been a martial artist for over 35 years now and for the most part I have held a full time job and run a martial arts school. Now in my mid 50's I still train 6 days a week grappling and sparring with my students many of whom are competitive fighters and champions in their chosen disciplines of Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jui Jitsu and Muay Thai.
This requires not only that I train the particular techniques of the disciplines and continually spar, but I must also keep a good maintenance level of strength and fitness, that enables me to train with students 30 or more years younger then me without incurring many injuries and at a very competitive level.
One of the main factors that has contributed to my being able to operate at this level, with the busy life schedule of teaching, working and operating a business, has been my basic weight training and fitness schedule that keeps me at a good maintenance level for training effectively.
To deal with the schedule that I work within I have opted for a weight training schedule of, alternating body part, super sets and giant sets. Training 4 days a week in a split routine with Chest, Back and Abs on Mondays and Thursdays and Arms and Legs on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each body part is worked with 3-5 sets a body part performed in a progressive weight increase manner and with very little time between sets to keep the intensity high, each workout period being only about 40 minutes in duration, this keeps my heart and work rate high delivering a very high conditioning effect that is essential for the rigors of Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts training.
I concentrate on major basic exercises and don't bother with many specific body part exercises:
Mondays: Alternating Flat Bench Press, Wide grip Pulldowns, Back Hyper-extensions and Incline abdominal crunches with weight (4 sets of this giant set are performed). Followed by Incline Bench Press, Bent over Bar Bell Rows (3 sets of this super set are performed).
Tuesdays: Alternating 4 sets of Close Grip Bench Press and 5 sets of Seated Incline Dumb-bell Curls, performed as a superset, once the Close Grip Bench Presses are finished Tricep Pushdowns are performed in conjunction with the Dumb-bell curls to complete the arm giant set. 5 sets of leg press and 3 of leg extension are then executed for legs (separately), these are performed together with 4 sets of power cleans.
Thursdays: Alternating Incline Bench Press, Side to side Single Dumb-bell Rows, Back Hyper-extensions and Incline abdominal crunches with weight (4 sets of this giant set are performed). Followed by Flat Bench Press, Wide Grip Pulldowns (3 sets of this super set are performed).
Fridays: Similar to Tuesday; alternating 4 sets of Close Grip Bench Press and 5 sets of Standing Dumb-bell Curls, performed as a superset, once the Close Grip Bench Presses are finished Tricep Pushdowns are performed in conjunction with the Dumb-bell curls to complete the arm giant set. 5 sets of leg press and 3 of leg extension are then executed for legs (separately), these are performed together with 4 sets of power cleans.
In addition I run for 5 kms on a Sunday morning just to keep a level of cardio up that compliments my martial arts training. I should add that the majority (~ 95%) of my martial arts training is hands on grappling, padwork and either sparring or sparring and scenario drilling, very little is performed in midair.
Remember if you are training for martial arts you are not training for a bodybuilding show, you want good muscular strength for power in your techniques and to allow you to take damage, particularly in the rigorous training of Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts.
I have been a martial artist for over 35 years now and for the most part I have held a full time job and run a martial arts school. Now in my mid 50's I still train 6 days a week grappling and sparring with my students many of whom are competitive fighters and champions in their chosen disciplines of Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jui Jitsu and Muay Thai.
This requires not only that I train the particular techniques of the disciplines and continually spar, but I must also keep a good maintenance level of strength and fitness, that enables me to train with students 30 or more years younger then me without incurring many injuries and at a very competitive level.
One of the main factors that has contributed to my being able to operate at this level, with the busy life schedule of teaching, working and operating a business, has been my basic weight training and fitness schedule that keeps me at a good maintenance level for training effectively.
To deal with the schedule that I work within I have opted for a weight training schedule of, alternating body part, super sets and giant sets. Training 4 days a week in a split routine with Chest, Back and Abs on Mondays and Thursdays and Arms and Legs on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each body part is worked with 3-5 sets a body part performed in a progressive weight increase manner and with very little time between sets to keep the intensity high, each workout period being only about 40 minutes in duration, this keeps my heart and work rate high delivering a very high conditioning effect that is essential for the rigors of Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts training.
I concentrate on major basic exercises and don't bother with many specific body part exercises:
Mondays: Alternating Flat Bench Press, Wide grip Pulldowns, Back Hyper-extensions and Incline abdominal crunches with weight (4 sets of this giant set are performed). Followed by Incline Bench Press, Bent over Bar Bell Rows (3 sets of this super set are performed).
Tuesdays: Alternating 4 sets of Close Grip Bench Press and 5 sets of Seated Incline Dumb-bell Curls, performed as a superset, once the Close Grip Bench Presses are finished Tricep Pushdowns are performed in conjunction with the Dumb-bell curls to complete the arm giant set. 5 sets of leg press and 3 of leg extension are then executed for legs (separately), these are performed together with 4 sets of power cleans.
Thursdays: Alternating Incline Bench Press, Side to side Single Dumb-bell Rows, Back Hyper-extensions and Incline abdominal crunches with weight (4 sets of this giant set are performed). Followed by Flat Bench Press, Wide Grip Pulldowns (3 sets of this super set are performed).
Fridays: Similar to Tuesday; alternating 4 sets of Close Grip Bench Press and 5 sets of Standing Dumb-bell Curls, performed as a superset, once the Close Grip Bench Presses are finished Tricep Pushdowns are performed in conjunction with the Dumb-bell curls to complete the arm giant set. 5 sets of leg press and 3 of leg extension are then executed for legs (separately), these are performed together with 4 sets of power cleans.
In addition I run for 5 kms on a Sunday morning just to keep a level of cardio up that compliments my martial arts training. I should add that the majority (~ 95%) of my martial arts training is hands on grappling, padwork and either sparring or sparring and scenario drilling, very little is performed in midair.
Remember if you are training for martial arts you are not training for a bodybuilding show, you want good muscular strength for power in your techniques and to allow you to take damage, particularly in the rigorous training of Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts.
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