Functional weight training for combat sports.

[LeonLondon]

I've been doing a 5x5 strength training routine for the last year and seen improvements in size and strength.

Had a chat to a guy at my gym today who told me that if I wanted to get good at a muay thai kickboxing or any other combat sport I should be looking at doing high-reps with low-weights because that way i will have more power to my kick and punches.

This didn't make much sense to me (surely a more powerful punch would come from strength training?)and I told him that and he replied by saying that thats what pretty much all his friends that do any combat sports do.

So does anyone on here do any combat sports themselves and know what sort of weight training combat sport athletes use ( high weight low rep strength training, high rep low weight etc..)

Thanks

[FLChamp]

Most athletes know dick all about training and its application to sport. Combat athletes are no different.

[LeonLondon]

Has anyone got a more helpful reply (no offnse)

[Therickz]

leg extensions for kicks and bench for punches. kinda not srs i dont even functional wat.

[-TheKingPin-]

Perhaps he was referring to muscle endurance... which would entail high reps low weight.

However for explosiveness and strength, low rep range for sure.

Do you ever see olympic lifters working in a high rep range.... generally they mainly do singles and triples.

[7399martyn]

Perhaps he was referring to muscle endurance... which would entail high reps low weight.

However for explosiveness and strength, low rep range for sure.

Do you ever see olympic lifters working in a high rep range.... generally they mainly do singles and triples.

agreed.

[whizkyy]

leg extensions for kicks and bench for punches. kinda not srs i dont even functional wat.

Power comes from your hips, legs, Traps and Lats...Not your chest....It's all about the pivot. If you've got a powerful pivot you've got a powerful punch. That's why you usually see Boxers and Fighters will have big lats and Traps and reasonable Legs compared to everything else. Infact quite a lot of Boxers and MMA fighters have little chest muscle

[jbball92]

read title and came in expecting sword fighting.

[Platoza]

Has anyone got a more helpful reply (no offnse)

Look man, to get strong you lift heavier. Being strong is being strong.
However you still need to do sport specific things.
So i would continue with 5x5 to develop overall strength. And continue focusing on your skill/fitness in your sport aswell. But You will see much more benefit doing a solid strength program then using light weights.

Typically light weight is for size, and low reps heavy weight is for strength.
Your friend is misinformed.

[LeonLondon]

Power comes from your hips, legs, Traps and Lats...Not your chest....It's all about the pivot. If you've got a powerful pivot you've got a powerful punch. That's why you usually see Boxers and Fighters will have big lats and Traps and reasonable Legs compared to everything else. Infact quite a lot of Boxers and MMA fighters have little chest muscle

This makes a lot of sense, think I'm gonna carry on with the 5x5 anyway to look good but also start training legs.

Also thanks for the responses everyone.

[chrisimundo]

I do bjj and muay thai and the main thing i would say to focus on for combat conditioning would be lots of bodyweight movements that are explosive. Plyos are good, any gymnastic type movement like planche training and stuff like that.

[WhiteKnight4U]

Carry on with your 5x5 strength training and add some explosive training into your program

Some explosive oly lifts (power cleans) are great for explosiveness.

But if you want to be good at muay thai the best thing to do for that would be .. punching, kicking, kneeing, elbows. Throw em fast in the air, throw em hard at a bag, train all diferent ways, train fatigued, train completely pumped, DO IT UP

But weightwwise, idk, explosive power cleans, front squats, single arm bench press. . . push press..

[BaseBaller1025]

Lifting light weights for high reps=more power?

mind=shattered.

[WhiteKnight4U]

Lifting light weights for high reps=more power?

mind=shattered.

For explosive power* I thought you train 50-60% of 1RM and do triples as explosively as you can...

I'd like to know the truth behind this :O