An individual practicing sport needs to train specifically for that particular sport’s demands and never waste time and on outside techniques which will hasten performance. A long distance runner needs to be in a position to utilize his aerobic energy system by consistently running many miles each day and week. It would be detrimental for him to utilize a sprinter’s workout routine, since it is performed within the anaerobic energy system and uses more fast twitch than slow twitch muscles.
If one really wants to be explosive, he needs to get trained in explosive movements, if one wants to be stronger, than he or she must lift heavier weights. Every exercise, drill or set a competitor performs must be precisely focused on fit his sport’s demands. The physiological changes that occur when an athlete trains explicitly for his particular sport helps your brain to muscle connection to become more utilized and perfected. An athlete who necessitates an excuse for strength, muscle endurance or size, must realize you will find definite patterns of training that has to be employed to make sure that his is becoming accustomed to working out appropriately and adjusting itself to improve in the sport activity (Triplett, p. 3).
Mixed Martial Arts: cardio vs weight training
Mixed Martial Arts training is one sport where workouts and training regimens need to be very specific to the actual match their fighting in. Too much focus on bodybuilding type workouts will leave the fighter feeling “gassed-out” early into his fight and slow him down in the long-run.
On the other hand, placing more importance on cardio and distance running will only return detrimental effects towards the fighter as he won’t have adequate strength or power to execute takedowns and slams. Many Mma (MMA) fighters continue to be having issues with comprehending the idea of specific training tailored for overall success.
Some believe that weight lifting will leave them bulky and inflexible while others feel that cardio and flexibility training is counterproductive to their objectives of force and power. When cage fighting started, it wasn’t “mixed” at the time and athletes only fought and been trained in their respective disciplines. Once it became evident that bridging multiple styles together resulted into a more proficient fighter, training camps started sprouting all over the country attempting to incorporate a training system that put all the major disciplines together.
Now that MMA is really popular and efficient, young athletes are training everyday with several disciplines incorporated with leading edge strength and conditioning workouts. The results out of this type of training have made Mixed Martial Arts competitors the best athletes in the world. No longer exist just jiu-jitsu or boxing fighters, but a combination of all disciplines into one.
Mixed Martial Arts training program
When designing a training regimen for these types of fighters, you have to consider the kind of fighting match they’re getting paid to perform in. Most rounds are five minutes with a one minute burglary between each round. Non-title fights are three rounds, while title fights can be sanctioned up to five rounds. Knowing that most matches is only going to last Fifteen minutes at most and that the fighters get two minutes of rest for the entire fight, MMA athletes should train in the anaerobic energy system to maximize benefits and preserve muscle.
Chad Waterbury explains that long duration cardio is detrimental to a MMA athlete’s success: “Since you’ll likely lose maximal strength and muscle tissue while creating a muscle fiber type shift from high-force power toward low-force endurance” (T-Nation).
It is essential for Mixed Martial Arts fighters to possess a higher ratio of fast-twitch muscles than slow-twitch since they’re fighting predominately within the intermediate energy system of anaerobic glycolysis. The anaerobic glycolysis system is important for producing endurance strength, which is what a MMA fighter needs to be able to function and perform in the highest level. A fighter is using his entire body during a fight, so it’s imperative he uses exercises that work both the upper and lower regions.
Movements like the deadlift, push-press, snatch and power clean are all great at generating full-body power. These athletes also need to incorporate ballistic movements such as medicine ball slams and rotational activities to create power for throws and slams. Rotational movements are important in Mixed Martial Arts training to incorporate explosive strength and power that’s essential to jostle opponents from side to side. Utilizing a circuit of exercises that challenges the entire body to operate together may be used to signify an actual round with 30-45 sec rest periods.
The main goal when making a course based around endurance strength is to allow it to be harder, faster with less rest periods than an actual fight would contain. By doing this the fighter’s body can continue to have some energy left over if he needs it after a round.
Muscular endurance and strength
Mixed martial arts specific weight training doesn’t just end with great muscular endurance, it deals with explosive strength too. Waterbury explains that Mixed Martial Arts fighters have to be explosive so that they can make the maximum amount of force in the shortest period of time (T-Nation). If a cage fighter is comparatively weak in strength and power, then using Olympic lifts like the deadlift, snatch and power clean can greatly improve those issues. But when another athlete has already been generating plenty of power and force together with his lifts, using heavier weights will only decrease his rate of force production.
Waterbury states that “RFD is really a direct measure of explosive strength” (T-Nation). Being able to move an object at a higher rate of speed increases force production and explosiveness. Due to needing a quick RFD, MMA athletes need to be in a position to train for both speed and power. Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell explains to have training days of lifting lighter weights with a faster rate of force and days of lifting for absolute strength (Westside Barbell). Here, the combat athlete is capable of success in both speed and power by having greater maximal strength that will carry over to lifting a sub-maximal load at a faster rate. Mma competitors have to consistently train for both absolute strength in addition to speed work because in a fight scenario, usually the first someone to get hit will probably be in a disadvantage from the start.
Using plyometrics learning an MMA athletes program
Developing quick feet and explosive movements in training can create a great carry-over effect to the fight itself. Jumping rope skipping is great for creating a fighter’s foot try to assist in quick movements that are essential to gaining a benefit in a fight. Plyometric training is another great tool within the strength and conditioning coach’s arsenal for designing sport-specific training. Plyometric training increases power, rate of force development and reactive ability which brings together weight room training and speed work (Myszka, p. 2). Using plyometrics within an MMA athletes program can be beneficial by bringing him more explosive force on kicks, punches and jumps. Soviet Union jump coach and scientist Yuri Verkhoshansky notes the best jumpers are those who spend minimal amount of time on the floor by maintaiing greater dynamic strength and reaction abilities. (Myszka, p. 3). Plyometric jumping and bounding exercises assist the athlete’s reaction speed and explosive force during the stretch-shortening cycle.
Overall, training a MMA athlete to compete within an actual fight takes picking the right exercises, movements and activities which will efficiently carry-over for them performing in the best come fight time. Mimicking movements that bear much resemblance to their fight scenarios is easily the most beneficial method of making them be a better athlete.
Those athletes who train their health for combat using fight-like activities will better train their neuromuscular system to relay the message and impulse once they require it probably the most. Perfect practice makes perfect when an athlete utilizes his mind to muscle connection more his opponent.
References
- Myszka, Shawn. The Amortization Phase: Making Plyometrics Work In Your Program. National Strength and Conditioning Association, p. 1-4.
- Simmons, Louie. Training techniques Part 1: Speed Day. Westside Barbell, p. 1-3.
- Triplett, Travis. Specificity for Sport. National Strength and Conditioning Association, p. 2-4.
- Waterbury, Chad. (2006). Hammer Down: Strength. How to Develop MMA-Specific Strength. Retrieved from: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/hammer_down_strength;jsessionid=83DE177959355E736AC37DCA98D2BC68-hg.hydra
- Waterbury, Chad. (2006). Hammer Down: Endurance. How you can Develop MMA Specific Endurance. Retrieved from: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/hammer_down_endurance