MMA Workouts

[The_Fighter]

This is where you can find some good workouts for the MMA fighter. I will be posting workouts for weight training, endurance/cardio, and explosive power. They will vary in difficulty so that all levels of fighter are catered for.

Some of you may be asking yourself what gives me the credentials to write up workouts for you and how do you know that they work... Well, I have been interested in weight training and MMA since I was 13 (a total of 6 years and counting). I have written weight training routines for some of my friends and acquintances who wanted to add muscle, strength and power for various reason. At my high school I was given the job of designing tailored, individual workout routines for each of the school rugby teams (of which I was a member).

All in all, I have had a fair bit of experience and success with my routines. I myself use my routines and I have had nothing but good, steady gains.

Keep in mind though, you will get the most out of these routines if you follow a good, clean diet, get sufficent sleep at night and follow the instructions for each routine to the letter! Noone ever got any where from cheating or cutting corners.

Hope they work for you as they have for me.

[Misfit]

Thank you Fighter, I look forward to seeing your routines.

[The_Fighter]

Beginners Weight Workout

Chest Sets/Reps
Flat barbell bench 5x5
Incline dumbell bench 5x8-12
Back
Lat pulldowns/pullups 5x8-12
Deadlifts 5x5
Thighs
Back/front squat 5x5
Leg press 5x8-12
Lower Leg
Standing calf raises 5x15-25
Seated calf raises 5x15-25
Skipping 5x5min rounds
Shoulders
Seated barbell press 5x5
Standing dumbell press 5x8-12
Core
Ab bridges/planks 5x1-2minutes
Crunches 5x25
Back extensions 5x25

This is a weight training routine for beginners. It is pretty self explanatory. If you do not know how to perform some of these exercises ask a member of your gym or seek out a personal trainer to instruct you of the way to do them. Use strict form and technique and press/lift/pull the weight explosively and let it down slowly.
With exercises where you use a barbell/dumbell each week alternate (EXAMPLE: Week 1, Flat barbell bench, Week 2, Flat dumbell bench) Do not use dumbells for any leg exercises)
With the skipping,stay on your toes, go for 5 minutes straight and then rest for 1 minute then skip again. This is to help simulate a MMA fight, (5minute rounds and 1 minute between rounds).

The main aim of this routine is to get a solid base of strength and to add some muscle. Perform this routine three (3) times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), follow each session with a warm down on the treadmill or bike for 15-30 minutes at a moderate - light pace.
Stretch and warm up before each exercise and if it hurts in a way it shouldn't (EXAMPLE: A pain not coming from muscle fatigue) stop immediately and rest for the rest of the week. If problems persist see a doctor.

Be sure to get good helping of protein as soon as possible after the workout and load up with carbs and protein about an hour - an hour and a half before the session.

[The_Fighter]

Chest Set/Reps
Push up 5xfailure-20
Feet elevated push up 5xfailure-20
Back
Pull up 5x10
Camel back 5x25-50
Thighs
Squats 5x20
Walking lunges 5x20m return
Lower Leg
Calf raises 5x50
Core
Ab bridges/planks 5x1-2minutes
Crunches 5x25



This routine is for when you can't get to the gym, or don't have access to weights. It's all bodyweight exercises, with most very commonly known.

To perfrom the exercise CAMEL BACK get down on all fours. Keep your back in its natural arch, from here arch your back right up, like a cat (or like a camels hump) hold for a second or two continually pushing, then slowly dip your back down, try to touch your stomach to the floor. DO NOT BEND YOUR ELBOWS OR HIPS! Hold this position for another second or two then slowly return to the backs natural arch. That's one rep.

With the WALKING LUNGES, set up an area that is 20m in distance. Lunge one foot in front of the other all the way to the other side AND BACK (so you are lunging a total of 40 metres for the set). You should be at the point in which you started.

With any of the other exercises, especially the push ups and pull ups, if you can't perform one rep with perfect form either get assistance from someone or do 'girl push ups' until your strength has increased. With each of these take your time lowering your body. The eccentric (stretching the muscle) has been proven to give the most strength benefits.

In this workout there is no exercise that specifically targets the lower back, the reason for this is because it gets worked in the CAMEL BACK and with the AB BRIDGES. And also, trying to explain how to perform the BACK EXTENSIONS exercises is very difficult and would take me alot of time which would be digging into the time I have to write up more routines for all of you.

Do this routine when you can't get to the gym, it can be done in your lunch break at work or whenever. The good thing about it is you always have a gym with you. It's called your body!

[The_Fighter]

Chest Sets/Reps
Clap push up 5x10
Staggered hand clap push up 5x5
Back
Cliffhanger pull ups 5x5
Legs
Burpees 5x15
Squat jumps 5x25


This is a very basic plyomateric workout to help the beginner build some explosiveness.

Most of the exercises are pretty commonly known, but two of them will look very alien to some. Allow me to describe how to perform them:

STAGGERED HAND PUSH UP
This is a very good exercise that works the entire upper body, especially the chest, shoulders, arms and back. To perform, get in your standard push up position. Now with one hand place it down about your waist with your other hand in the standard position. Lower your body down and push up (like a normal push up) at the top explode up, leaving the ground, clap your hands before landing again. When you do land swap your hands over in mid air. (If your left hand was down near your waist now it should be up in the normal position and your right hand near your waist).

CLIFFHANGER PULL UPS
Great exercise for the biceps and back. To perform grab an overhead pull up bar (grip doesn't matter, overhand or underhand), pull yourself up explosively at the top let go of the bar (so you are in midair, freely) and reverse your grip before you plummet to the floor. (So, if your grip to star was overhand, palms away from you, it should now be underhand, palms facing you).

Each of these exercises will give you awesome strength and explosion, but will take some getting used to. Make sure you warm up thoroughly before performing these exercises. And if you feel an abnormal pain STOP!