The sport of Mixed Martial Arts with a lot of help from the UFC is now the fastest growing sport in the entire world. From Lincoln, Nebraska to Beijing this sport has taken on a life of its own and has proven to make a fan out of any type of person. Although some of the protesters of mixed martial arts are still arguing that it is a bloody sport no better than human cock fighting or dog fighting it has come a long way since UFC 1!
Along with the rules and regulations of the sport there has
been an explosion of scientific research done on peak performing athletes. In the beginning it was the martial artists training in the art of Brazilian Jiujitsu who were on top of the sport. However, fighters learned how to defend it and then it was the fighters that were disciplined in Muay Thai. However, fighters soon realized how to defend against this style also. So, now it is imperative each fighter is an expert in many martial arts styles like; Karate, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, and others.
So now that it is required for a mixed martial artist to be an expert in numerous styles of martial arts how do they find all the time to train in all these different styles? Many MMA'ers have designated specific days to specific disciplines. For example,
Martial Arts Training Routine
- Monday A.M.: Muay Thai Training - Monday P.M.: Cardio
- Tuesday A.M.: BJJ and groundwork - Tuesday P.M.: Strength Training
- Wednesday A.M.: Standup and Strategy - Wednesday P.M.: Cardio
- Thursday A.M.: Muay Thai Training (Phase II) - Thursday P.M.: Strength Training
- Friday A.M.: Brazilian Jiujitsu and groundwork (Phase II) - Friday P.M.: Cardio
So you can see that the time of a fighter is broken up into chunks and they must always be getting everything they can out of their training routine. One area that a fighter must work on and improve is their cardiovascular training. A MMA round is an extremely intense workout so they must be at their top physical shape. So, below there is an example of an MMA cardio training routine that is built around a circuit and focuses on the athletes strength, speed, and cardio level.
Cardio Training Routine
- Cardio Phase - Squat jumps - continuous movement trying to jump higher each time. Length: 1 minute for beginners up to 3 minutes for advanced athletes
- Compound Phase - Pull Up which targets the back (which is the largest upper body muscle). In MMA it is essential to have a strong back for numerous reasons.
- Cardio Phase - Shuttle Run - Preferably outside if you are working in a small room. The ideal length is 20 to 30 meters. Length: 1 minute for beginners up to 3 minutes for advanced athletes
- Compound Phase - Dumbbell Shoulder press - For MMA a general rule is Dumbbell is better than Bar, Bar is better than machine. So when you can use the dumbbells which also build more supporting muscles.
- Cardio Phase - Sprint on spot- Bring your knees up high and tap them off your hands.
- Compound Phase - Press up, keep your elbows in tight to your torso so to target the triceps better.
- Cardio Phase - Jumping Jacks Length: 1 minute for beginners up to 3 minutes for advanced athletes Length: 1 minute for beginners up to 3 minutes for advanced athletes
- Compound Phase - Bent over rows - This is used to target the mid to upper back and also increases grip strength.
- Cardio Phase - Jump Steps - You can either stair step or a exercise bench. Quickly jump onto the bench and as quick as you can jump down onto the ground repeating this until this session is done.
- Compound Phase - Squats - With dumbbells held by your side or resting on your shoulders with your hands holding onto them.
The critical piece of this routine is that you alternate between the pushing and pulling movements. This trains the muscles in a functional (real life) way in which you actually use them in a fight. As with all good workout routines there is a time when they need to be modified and changed so they don't become monotonous and boring. But, this routine will get you started and well on your way to being an MMA machine!
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