INFO......Training for MMA and other fighting styles!!!!

[KTC1369]

ok, I've seen many posts on people asking for help with training for MMA and other fighting styles so I decided it would be a good idea to make a thread with all of the info that I can provide where people can come to get the info they need quickly and easily instead of making the same post over and over again.


First, we will cover diet. Than cardio. Than strength training. And then the different styles (boxing, kickboxing, brazillian jiu-jitsu, mauy-thai and wrestling). So here it goes.


---Diet---


ok, first, all you have to do is eat clean foods, there is no magic to dieting. one method I reccomend is carb cycling. Remember though, since you are fighting you are going to want more calories than the average person. I reccomend adding an extra 150-300 calories. mostly through complex carbs and EFA's. Now, I also reccomend a good multi- vitamin, and some protein powder (for after your workouts). Now, onto what foods you should eat.


---protein---


lean meat 98% lean or leaner

skinless, boneless chicken breast


turkey (white meat)

canned tuna (water packed)

protein powder

fish

egg whites

cottage cheese

---carbs---


---fibrous carbs---

vegetables (prefferably green vegetables)

---complex carbs---

Oats

Brown rice

Beans/legumes etc.


----fats---

natrual peanut butter

olive oil

flax oil

hemp seed oil

fish oil

Well, there's the diet part of this, remember to also drink lots and lots of water, and crystalite (for electrolytes),peace.

[KTC1369]

ok, now, here is the cardio part of this. I started another post on this so the one above this didn't get too long. Now, cardio is pretty simple so this one will be short.

Needless to say, fighters do cardio for bodyfat reduction and (mainly) for increasing their endurance.


Smore good cardio exercises are---


Jogging (this one was probably a given,right?)

knee-highs (this will give you good endurance for stand-up fighting)

jumps (this will give you good overall endurance but is mainly for grappling)

jumping rope (this will also give you great overall endurance but this one is mainly for stand-up fighting)

also, just sparring is great cardio.

wind-sprints (this one is another given. it will increase your overall endurance greatly and will also improve your explosive endurance)

HIIT is also great.

---reccomended time limits---

jogging--30 min.

knee-highs--15 min.

jumps--15 min.

jumping rope--15 min.

windsprints--10-20 min.


well, there is the cardio part. Strength training is next, 'till then, peace.

[KTC1369]

ok, now, here is the strength training part.


Now, the only 3 things I reccomend for fighters to do for strength are 1.) plyometrics 2.) bodyweight exercises and 3.) weight training.

First, plyometrics is the method of training which seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions as a result of rapid eccentric contractions.

Below is a list of lower body plyometrics exercises, choose the ones that suite your needs best.

Drop Jumping: - This exercise involves the athlete dropping (not jumping) to the ground from a raised platform or box, and then immediately jumping up. The drop down gives the pre-stretch to the leg muscles and the vigorous drive upwards the secondary concentric contraction The exercise will be more effective the shorter the time the feet are in contact with the ground. The loading in this exercise is governed by the height of the drop which should be in the region of 30-80 cm. Drop jumping is a relatively high impact form of plyometric training and would normally be introduced after the athlete had become accustomed to lower impact alternatives, such as two-footed jumping on the spot.

Bounding and hurdling: If forward motion is more the name of your game, try some bounding. This is a form of plyometric training, where over sized strides are used in the running action and extra time spent in the air. Two-legged bounds reduces the impact to be endured, but to increase the intensity one legged bounding, or hopping, can be used. Bounding upstairs is a useful way to work on both the vertical and horizontal aspects of the running action. Multiple jumps over a series of obstacles like hurdles is a valuable drill for athletes training for sprinting or jumping events.

Examples of lower body plyometric exercises with intensity level:

Standing based jumps performed on the spot (low intensity) - Tuck Jumps, Split Jumps
Jumps from standing (low-medium intensity) - Standing long jump, Standing hop, standing jump for height
Multiple jumps from standing (medium intensity) - bounds, bunny hops, double footed jumps over low hurdle, double footed jumps up steps
Multiple jumps with run in (High intensity) - 11 stride run + 2 hops and a jump into sandpit, 2 stride run in + bounds
Depth jumping (high-very high intensity) - jumps down and up off box (40-100cm), bounding up hill
Eccentric drop and hold drills (high-very high intensity) - hop and hold, bound/hop/bound/hop over 30m (athletes stops and holds on each landing before springing into the next move), drop and hold from a height > one metre


Below is a list of upper body plyometrics exercises, choose the ones that best suite your needs.

Press ups and hand clap:

medicine ball.

(as you can tell, the lower has many more exercises and I believe this is good because I think the lower body is way more important when it comes to fighting)


Second, bodyweight exercises.

this will be short. Bodyweight exercises are push ups, crunches, pull ups, dips, and exercises like that. Now, I don't think I need to explain these exercises but if you don't know how to do them then check out some of the articles on bodybuilding.com.


Third, weight training. Now, weight training is different for fighters than it is for bodybuilders because you want to train more for strength than you do for size. This is for 2 reasons. 1 is that in fighting strenght is way more important than size. And 2 is that size will only slow you down and decrease your flexibility. With that said, lets get on to how to weight train as a fighter.

now, I can talk about this all day, but for the sake of simplicity I reccomend you read the following 2 articles.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/animalpak33.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler39.htm


There are also a bunch of good articles on strength that can be found here

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbin...?page=strength


Well, there you have it, the strength training part of this, 'till next time, peace.

[Kane Fan]

what are knee highs
just raising your knee to parallel?

[KTC1369]

ok, they are kinda hard for me to explain in words (I'm never good at explaining things) if I could find a video it would be much better. But I'll try to explain it as best I can. Knee highs are where you jump a little of the ground and try to raise your knee as far up to your chest as you can, repeatedly. Hope this helps, as I said I suck at explaining things, if you train ask your trainer, he could probably give you a better explaination than I gave you. Or if you have a freind that trains have them show you in person. Peace.

[HEAVYHITTA357]

i say sticky this. football players got a sticky or two, its time the fighters get one.

[KTC1369]

thanx heavyhitta, it's nice to hear someone sticky this. I feel the same way about the football sticky which is why I started this thread to help the fighters in here find info quickly and easily. thanx again. I hope a mod sees things the same way as we do and stickies this, peace.


P.S. I'll be writing the training part of this soon.

[spaz1810]

i've got a question about plyometrics in general and also aboot the drop jumping:

i read that it's kinda like loading a spring and then releasing it, that being the idea behind plyometrics: you pull back and then explode out. now the question: how far are you meant to "load" the muscle? eg in the drop jumping, do you go all the way to the ground and then jump? or only enough so as to cushion the fall?

[KTC1369]

ok, well, you can touch the ground if you want to (if it's easier for you) but the shorter the amount of time that your foot is in contact with the ground the better. Hope this helps. Peace.

[Kane Fan]

ok, they are kinda hard for me to explain in words (I'm never good at explaining things) if I could find a video it would be much better. But I'll try to explain it as best I can. Knee highs are where you jump a little of the ground and try to raise your knee as far up to your chest as you can, repeatedly. Hope this helps, as I said I suck at explaining things, if you train ask your trainer, he could probably give you a better explaination than I gave you. Or if you have a freind that trains have them show you in person. Peace.

oh I get what you are saying
should you do these in sneeakers to help absorb the impact? I can get some high jumping in for a big fellow

[Colby]

I like good post. I'd just like to add that the best thing for cardio for fighting besides sparring, would be plyometrics. I know you got in the strength but I like to use it for cardio.

Because plyometrics require bursts of energy in a short amount of time it similates what your body is going through when your fighting. I'd just like to give a sample workout of what we use at our gym for cardio nights:

Lunges (Back in forth in a room about 30 feet long) 2 sets

Backwards Lunge (^^^same as above^^^^) 2 sets

Double tap lunge (^^^Same as above^^^^) 2 sets
Frog Jumps-get in the postiion of a squat, but place your hands in between your legs so there touching the floor. Then you going to explode and jump as high as possible.(All the way down and back in a 30 foot long room) 2 set

Kangaroo Jumps-squat down but this time have your legs in a narrow shoulder width stance. Your hands will this time go on the outside of your legs and will be touching the floor in a starting position. You then will explose and jump as high as possible. ( ^^^same as above^^^)

Squat Jumps 2 sets of 20 reps

Squats Jumps with medicine ball 2 sets of 20

Burpees 2 x 20

Regular pushups 2 x 20

Close grip push ups 2 x 20

Rip Cord pushups-Starting postion is that of a regular pushup. But when you start to come back from the floor your left arm will explode back while your right arm is pushing your body weight back up. Alternate between arms ( a lil confusing ...sorry) 2 x 20

T Push ups-basically same as the rip cord pushups but this time instead of breaking your arm back like your going to keep it straight and then twist your hips so you look like a T (again hard to explain) 2 x 20

Push up hold for 1 min

Tiger push ups-bring you feet together and put them against the wall...With your ass really high in the air, you should now be based on your head. Now make a diamond wiht your hands and proceed to do a push-up...it works the triceps well. 2 x 20

Hindu Pushups 2 x 20

Straight leg crunch 2 x 20
Bent leg crunch 2 x 20
Russian Twists 2 x 30
Bicycle Crunch 2 x 20
Back extensions 2 x 20
Superman for 1 minute
And then get into a push up stance but then instead of your body weight being placed on your hands its going to be on your elbows...keep your ass off the ground and do it for a minute.

Thats it. Its grueling and take about 30 seconds in between each set and you do them one right after another.

**anyone want me to clerify on the excercises i will***

[KTC1369]

ok, colby, good point, plyometrics does work wonders for cardio as well. Also, good sample workout. sounds promising. How are your results from it. Kane Fan, yeah, you could wear sneakers if you want, but it doesn't really matter. Just wear footwear of some sort. Peace guys.