Add Some Weights to Your Mixed Martial Arts Training
There is at time a controversy between training with or without weights for mixed martial arts. Is it a matter of just having natural ability or can weight training help "fill in" other needed areas of conditioning?
Decades ago, the late Mas(utatsu) Oyama,founderof Kyokushinkai Karate, and arguably the undocumented godfather of mixed martial arts,once conducted an informal test between two of his students todeterminewhat kind of physicalconditioning was best for hand tohand combat performance. The first studentspreparation for thecompetition consisted mostly ofcalisthenics as backgroundconditioning.The second student trained with weights. The exactexercises used were not documented exactly but it may be assumed that while thefirst student didbodyweightexercisessuch aspushups, pull ups, jumping, stretching and the like, the second student wasnewly introduced to barbell and dumbbell exercises (probably without a strengthand conditioning coach around). The first students bodybecamesupple andwiry. The second student, whose exact conditioningmaynot have been recorded,gained muscular bulk.
After a few months,bothfighterstangledon the mat. The contest mostprobably allowed not only striking but also grappling. According to thestory, the karateka who trained with classic karate calisthenics beat themuscle boy hands down. Does this prove thattraining only withcalisthenicsis the best conditioningmethodfor Karate or MixedMartial Arts?
What if the first student was just a betterfighter? Did they have the same nutritionalplan? Did they use supplements?Did they understand the value of weighttraining recovery at that time? This kind oftesthardly proves anything given the fact that there weretoo manyuncontrolled variables involved. The concept of barbellexercises beingan integral part of mixed martial artsequipmentwas new and under the authoritative auspices of Mas Oyama, itmust have made sense that weight training slowed you down by making you whatwas knownat the timeasmuscle bound. Also, there wasonly one student of each conditioning discipline. There should have beena larger sampling.
Mixed Martial Arts is an Anaerobic Activity
A 1998 study observedthat advanced practitionersof karate tend to be much stronger in the bench press and half squat thanbeginners. This is probably due to a constant regimen of push-ups andjumping but could it also be the other way around? That is, if a martial artistwas to begin a weight training regimen, including bench presses and squats,would this help them better in their sport? The same studyanalyzedthat martial artists such as karatekas tested out more or lessto beanaerobic (strength and power oriented)athletes. This isinteresting because although the same study did not consider them to beendurance (aerobic)athletes, their uptake of oxygen efficiency (VO2max)was measured to beabout 19% above non-athletic participants inthe same tests.
The goal of themixed martial artist must be tonot only learn striking and grapplingtechniques but to alsodevelopthe stamina to sustain these activities for long periods of time. Staminais the combination of strength and endurance. To attain stamina, thestrength and conditioning of the mixed martial artist must be of a hybridnature. In yet another study it. . .is recommended thatkarate practitioners perform more specific weight training, plyometricexercises, and interval training to increase the ability to buffer acid muscleand blood concentrations and to build lean body mass, strength, and power todevelop the specific motor skills required in sparring.
MixedMartial Arts Requires Training Specificity
MMA conditioningfor a cage fightcan be agrueling affair. One should not waste time with exercises that are notspecific to the sport. It would be best to practice skills andconditioning at different times or preferably, on different days.Practice skills on Monday and Wednesday and work on stamina Tuesday andFriday. If you have a busy schedule, however,then you may bepressed to do everything on the same day. If this is the case, you should nevertire yourself out first with stamina training. This should be donelast.Skill Movements requiring criticalaccuracy,finesseand timing should be practiced first. Thesewould bepinpoint speed strikes, punches and kicks which are then followed by thepractice of grappling movements requiring more brutal strength such as throws,take downs, reversals and such. Stamina conditioning is done last.
If you practiced the more skilled andexplosivemovements first when you are fresh, you are telling your bodythrough thelanguage of muscle memory something like, I want you to do itthis way; sharp, accurate, crisp and powerful. If, however, you trainfinessetechniques when you are exhausted, your muscle memory will tend toreturn sloppy and tired movements in the future.
There may, however, be a sound argument inthatyou should exhaust yourself first and then practice a skill suchaskicking. After all, you say, what if a bout lasts manyrounds? My body should have the muscle memory to know what is needed tofight well when exhausted, shouldnt it? If this is your thinkingthenfirst practice skilled movements in your workout, then exhaustyourself and if you stillhave enough energy left, finish up with skilledmovements. This will develop concentration.
A SampleWeights Interval Workout to Develop Stamina
Here is a great workout for building stamina for mixedmartial arts. You should only do a workout of this type after you havebeen weight training for at least a few months and you are in reasonably goodshape.
1)Cardio: Jump rope for one minute.
2)Strength: Do six to eight repetitions of powercleans. Use a light weight.
3)Cardio: Do step ups for one minute. You canuse an ordinary chair for this. First thirty seconds step
up onto the chair with your right foot and thrust yourself up bringing yourleft foot up beside your right foot.
Then step down onto the floor first with your right foot bringing your left footdown beside the right. Your
rightleg provides the concentric movement up. Your left leg providethe eccentric motion down. On the
second thirty seconds you reverse feet. Your left leg willpush youup and your right leg will let you down.
4)Strength: Incline (or regular) benchpress.Use a weight you can perform6 to 8 repetitions withoutstraining. Bar dips are acceptable as a substitute.
5)Cardio: Jump rope for one minute.
6)Strength: Back squats. Use a weight youcan perform6 to 8 reps with without straining.
7)Cardio: Step-ups for one minute.
8)Strength: Chin ups. You should be ableto do about 6 to ten reps without straining.Bent rows are acceptable as asubstitute.
9)Cardio: Jump rope for one minute
10)Strength: Power cleans .
11)Repeat threeorfour rounds. Norest.
This stamina developing workout will definitely getthe job done. Again, you should not attempt this workout unless you arein reasonably good shape. Consult a doctor first before you do it. Dontdo it more than two or three times a week. One very important note:Dont think you can turn this workout into a high intensitytraining workout by doing the strength exercises tofailure. You will definitely over-train.
After you achieve better conditioning with the aboveworkout try variations by super-setting the strength intervals to be:
1)Jump rope.
2)Cleans and presses or sandbag lifting.
3)Step ups.
4)Bench press and bent rows.
5)Jump rope
6)Back squats and partial good mornings or deadlifts.
7)Step ups.
8)Dips and chin ups
Repeat 2 more times-quickly moving between exerciseswith no rest for a total of 3 rounds. If the weights are too light, itsokay to go heavier withlower reps.
The TakeAway Conclusion
Stamina workouts such as those above should not bedone more than twice a weekthree times at the most. If youre lookingfor ainterval type of circuit workout that develops your both yourstrength and VO2 max then try this for 6 to 8 weeks. If youre exploringoptions, this is one of the best stamina routines out there. So considerweights to be part of your mixed martial arts training gear.
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