The Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program

The Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program

If you're goal is to develop never-ending cardio, then you need to be specifically targeting your anaerobic alactic system. The anaerobic lactic energy system gives you what many people describe as 'strength-endurance'. It's also known as the glycolytic system.

To fully develop this system for MMA, you need to be doing 2 different styles of workouts: systemic and local.

Systemic workouts tap into this energy system using muscles all over the body, and create a large amount of lactate, which is the by-product of anaerobic lactic energy production, that must be processed by the liver. An example of a systemic workout would be the following:

Systemic Anaerobic Lactic MMA Workout

Do the following in circuit style, moving as quickly as possible between exercises. Remember to breathe throughout each movement. Good form is key!

Reps: 10

Tempo: 401 (4 seconds eccentric, no pause, 1 second concentric)

Intensity: -2 RM (pick a weight you could do 12 reps for in perfect form and do (-2) 10 reps)


Rest: No rest between exercises, 1-2 min after a set of each exercise is complete

Sets: 2-4

Exercises: Squats, Pullups, Reverse lunges, Flat dumbbell presses

If you're closely following the prescribed tempo and you've picked the right weight, you'll feel the power of this workout!

Local workouts tap into this energy system specifically targeting a small group of muscles, such as the muscles around the shoulder. Lactate is produced, but on a much smaller scale compared to the systemic workouts.

One of my favorite anaerobic lactic local workouts if for the shoulders. These muscles need great strength endurance to be able to battle in the clinch, grappling, and for throwing combos for 3 full rounds. Here's one of the workouts I use with my athletes to develop their anaerobic lactic energy system for the shoulders:

Local Anaerobic Lactic MMA Workout

Again, this is circuit style, pay close attention to form throughout the complex.

Reps: 10

Tempo: Control

Intensity: -3 RM for Dumbbell lateral raise (pick a weight you can do about 13 reps for)

Rest: No rest between exercises, 1-2 min after a set of each exercise is complete

Sets: 2-4

The Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program

Strength and conditioning are keys to MMA success, you know that and I know that. In the past many athletes could get away with mediocre conditioning if they were highly skilled martial artists. But if you look at today's UFC champs, they're all highly skilled and in great shape.

So if you're training MMA at least three times a week, to get the most out of your mixed-martial arts classes, you need to be in good shape. If you're not, you'll be more focused on your fatigue and breathing than on perfecting the details of the techniques you're learning.

And without good technique, you'll waste more energy, creating a vicious cycle. If you're out of shape, you need to focus on your base conditioning, before you can get the most out of your skills training. And if you're in OK shape, getting into great shape will further enhance what you already know.

Here's a general overview of what a complete MMA workout program must have:

• Workouts to develop all 3 energy systems: aerobic, anaerobic lactic (glycolytic), anaerobic alactic (ATP-CP)





• Exercises designed to enhance movements specific to mixed-martial arts

  
  
  

  • Example #1 - Many people hate on bicep curls but they're necessary to hold underhooks when standing or to defend an armbar

  
  
  

  • Example #2 - Powerful strikes come from having a high level of dynamic core stability, so exercises like medicine ball side tosses are necessary

  
  
  

• Exercises that work all 3 planes of motion: sagittal, frontal, and transverse





• A workout program that doesn't make the athlete too sore so they can effectively train their MMA skills





• An effective MMA workout program must not cause an athlete to build too much muscle mass (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, like bodybuilding) - instead the focus must be on strength and muscle density (myofibrillar hypertrophy)





• A progression scheme that peaks the fighter's conditioning level for the fight, taking into consideration the typical volume and intensity of MMA training leading to the fight.





• A workout program that doesn't demand more than 3 days a week of strength and conditioning. Anymore than this will surely detract from MMA skills training.





• A tapering scheme for the last couple of weeks when MMA sparring is the priority but strength and power must be maintained





• Exercises that will train all 8 biomotor abilities: strength, power, endurance, speed, agility, co-ordination, balance, and flexibility

  
  




• Exercises that will help prevent common injuries to MMA fighters

  
  
  

  • Example - the shoulder is often a problem with fighters, especially those who rely on their boxing, which causes over development of the anterior deltoid and demands a lot of anterior acceleration of the humerus in the capsule - so to minimize the impact on the joint itself, the muscles that are responsible for deceleration (external rotators, posterior deltoid, scapular stabilizers) must be strengthened eccentrically

All of these points are essential to the complete physical development for a mixed-martial artist. There are many basic strength programs out there, like the 5x5 and Starting Strength programs, but they leave out some crucial elements such as training the transverse plane that is responsible for developing KO power.

Not to say that these programs are not beneficial, they definitely are better than doing something randomly or not doing anything at all, but they are not specific to MMA athletes, they are generalized strength programs.

Then there are the general conditioning programs, like CrossFit. Although they can be very challenging, they are random workouts with no goal in mind other than to make you sweat, again providing a more general type of fitness instead of the specific requirements needed by a mixed-martial artist.

If you're currently working out, look at the points in this article and add in what is missing and you'll surely feel the impact on what matters most - your MMA performance.

If you're looking for a program that contains all of these KEY MMA workout requirements, then check out: