Sport! It's not just goals, meters, seconds. MMA fighters training in the gym

For MMA fighters, training is a set of exercises that help build endurance, which is very important for mixed martial arts fighters. This complex will help the athlete become more defined, focused and resilient.

Reasons to practice MMA

Many novice athletes often ask questions about why MMA fighters need training at all, because you can also learn to fight without it. It is worth noting that martial arts, like any sport, have their own rules and regulations, which cannot be violated.

Training for MMA fighters provides an opportunity to develop strength and endurance, which is necessary not only for them, but also for people interested in any other sport. Beyond that, there are many reasons to start training in MMA. The main ones:

Music for MMA training energizes and directs you to achieve new goals.
Thanks to regular exercise, self-confidence is gradually developed. When a wrestler knows exactly how to fight, he feels calmer and more relaxed. That is why, when a threat comes suddenly, it will be much easier to get around it.
Discipline is one of the main advantages of MMA. Home workouts, like exercises in gyms with trainers, teach discipline not only to the body, but also to the mind. Proper nutrition, sleep and training schedule are the main points that you will have to accustom yourself to from the very first lesson.
MMA training (training) is a great opportunity to improve your physical capabilities and become the owner of a chic, athletic body.
Training allows you to displace anger and anger, which people absolutely do not need in everyday life. It is enough just to spend some time in the gym and realize all your aggression there.
Victories and defeats in competitions give drive, which is reflected in other areas of activity.
By visiting the gym and meeting similar athletes there, there is a considerable chance of finding true friends who will be close in spirit and interests.

Functional training

MMA strength training prepares you for fights of any level, because there are different tournaments and the number of rounds in them, accordingly, differs. During the entire fight, the fighter has to constantly be on the move, since it is impossible to stand still. In any case, it is necessary to push or pull the enemy, bend, lunge, and so on. In a fight you need to be as tense as possible and stay in this state longer than the enemy. Therefore, training that takes place outside the ring should be similar to a fight.

Trainings

A set of MMA exercises (training) must necessarily contain positions that require logs, tires, stones, barrels, sledgehammers, etc. The main goal of the athlete is to move a heavy object over a certain distance. This can be done by lifting, dragging or throwing this weight somewhere.

Exercises of this type can be performed either separately or in combination with others. When a novice fighter decides to start training, it is best to choose no more than 5-6 exercises that will involve the entire body.

You can perform exercises by combining them into a series or dividing them into approaches. The workout should be made more difficult only when a person feels light. But you shouldn’t overload yourself, so you need to complicate things gradually. The ideal option is to complete the maximum number of repetitions within a set time (approximately 2-3 minutes). In addition, we should not forget about short breaks for recovery, without which it will not be possible to gradually increase the load.

Own body weight

Everyone knows bodyweight exercises, which are also used in MMA training. There is no need to do any experiments here, so to get started, regular push-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, and so on are enough. All this should be done as a warm-up before the main workout.

Sled pulls

Many novice athletes do not really like this exercise, since it is not easy to perform, but for a real fighter it is a must. Even the best workouts (MMA) always include sled pulls.

Among the most effective exercises:

traction with advancement;
pulling a heavy sled while running face forward;
sled presses with advancement;
thrust while running backwards.

The most advantageous option would be to combine all these exercises into separate series, which should be performed in approximately 30 seconds. Thanks to this, you can quickly develop endurance. And to achieve great results in the development of explosive strength, you will need to do sled training with approaches of up to 10 seconds, breaks between which should be at least one and a half minutes. In total, each exercise requires 4-12 approaches.

Sprint

Simple jogging does not give the required result, so it is worth considering sprinting, which has much more benefits. This type of training provides the opportunity to work at maximum power. In addition, during sprinting, glycolytic and, of course, creatine phosphate energy supply mechanisms are involved, which is a significant advantage for athletes of any level.

To perform a workout, it is not necessary to use any special equipment that can only be found in gyms. It will be enough to find a mountain on the street that you can run up in 5-10 minutes, or a staircase with normal steps. It would also be a good idea to run with a parachute in a harness or the shuttle option, for which you don’t need absolutely anything other than a flat plane.

As before any workout, you definitely need to warm up well before the sprint to avoid injury.

With medicine balls

If you set a goal to quickly gain endurance and explosive strength, you can immediately start training with medicine balls. To do this, you should choose a special ball that is not too large so that it can be held well in both hands, and also not too light or heavy so that it can be thrown over long distances. Basic exercises for MMA fighters are the following throws:

from the chest;
on the floor (so that the ball returns back to your hands at the same level at which it was thrown);
from behind the head;
to the sides with twists.

As a rule, people choose a complex of several throws, which will be performed for a couple of minutes and at an intense pace. Here, as in previous trainings, it is necessary to take breaks to restore strength and energy.

Complexes with a barbell

More experienced fighters who have already tried all the standard exercises can easily try complexes of several exercises, where the main equipment is a barbell. In most cases, such training consists of ten basic movements, including: jerks, pushes, pulls, squats, etc. Each exercise is done in 5-6 repetitions.

The most important thing is to carry out movements at maximum speed. In this case, it is forbidden to lower the barbell to the floor for the purpose of respite. For the average athlete, a 20-kilogram Olympic bar will be enough. And the complex consists of the following exercises (perform 5-6 repetitions):

rounds with a minute's rest;
breastfeeding;
jerk;
deadlift;
bent over row.

A stopwatch will help you track your progress; you can use it to track the time of the round. In addition, you need to start with the simplest bar, and then gradually increase the weight. Sometimes there are situations when even a person with excellent physical shape cannot squeeze 40-45 kilograms.

MMA training program

In addition to the above exercises, you should consider a workout that involves all muscles.

Workout (everywhere 3 sets and 6-10 repetitions):

Jumping on a box, just above the knees.
Standing barbell press from your chest above your head.
Weighted pull-ups.
Throwing the ball to the floor.
Close grip/clapping push-ups.
Front squats.

This workout is designed for exactly a week. The next one must be performed in the same way, but in 4 sets.

No one doubts that success in a fight always comes to a stronger, more prepared MMA fighter. The training process of preparing the most successful fighters is aimed at developing the strength and power of all muscles of the body while simultaneously acquiring skills for economical use of energy (strength should in no case be wasted on extraneous movements, and isolated ones are completely excluded).

LINK with contacts of MMA sections in Moscow of the Udarnik club.

It should be noted that simple copying MMA training programs leading champions and stars will not bring results. Each of them has their own long-term path to the top. Some started with wrestling, others with Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and others with Thai boxing or karate. Almost all Russian athletes came to MMA with sambo.

Having decided to engage in MMA professionally, they adjusted their training process in order to practice those techniques and skills that they did not have enough knowledge of. For example, Fedor Emelianenko In recent years, before the end of his performances, he hardly did any special training with weights and rarely on the wrestling mat, but most of all paid attention to endurance.

The Udarnik club conducts MMA training, the schedule can be found at LINK.

First of all, already in the first lessons, trainers draw the attention of even beginners to the need for the correct combination of strength training in the gym with wrestling and cardio training. As a rule, it is recommended to do no more than two gym sessions per week, at least two days apart.

Typically, athletes choose a strength training regimen Monday-Thursday or Tuesday-Friday. At the same time, different muscle groups are loaded on each day. For example, on Monday - back, legs and grip strength, and on Thursday - shoulders, chest and triceps. There may be other options at the discretion of the coach.

In this case, you should pay attention to the recovery of the body after exercise.

In two days he should fully recover and be ready for a new workout. If the muscles have not recovered, you should think about lower intensity loads, and adjust the training program so that it matches the characteristics of the athlete’s body.

On other days, cardio training alternates with wrestling training. At the same time, at least half of the training time the athlete practices the exercise in pairs.

The training regime, even during preparation for competitions, cannot last more than 6 days a week.

If you thought that only those who like to measure their muscle volume go to the gym, then you were deeply mistaken. Professional fighters who compete in mixed martial arts also do not shy away from working with weight. But their training differs significantly from the programs of bodybuilders and weightlifters.

Every fighter needs explosive power - just being physically strong is not enough to hit well. Therefore, the main emphasis in strength training is on exercises that help increase the explosive power of the muscles. This is how great fighters become the owners of crushing blows that instantly turn off the enemy’s consciousness.

Professional opinion

Jeff Monson, the legendary Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, although not a leader in his weight category in terms of the official MMA rankings and is more involved in educational activities than actually fighting for championship titles, still continues to be a real source of advice for fighters of all levels.

When preparing for a fight, Jeff uses his own program, which includes only functional exercises. Simply put, training is aimed at making a fighter stronger and faster, and not just stupidly increasing muscle mass. The essence of the program is a small number of repetitions of each exercise - there should be no more than five. Weight increases gradually.

Exercise from Monson: hold the dumbbell down at arm's length, your back straight. Then use an explosive movement of your hips to lift the projectile above your head. You need to do 3 approaches 5 times. Works mainly on the legs and a little on the back.

This exercise is great for warming up before your main workout. Next comes the incline barbell press, weighted pull-ups and one-arm deadlifts. Jeff repeats this combination of exercises 3 times, doing no more than 5 repetitions in one approach.

From private to general

You can spend a long time looking at the training programs of various fighters, but it will be more useful to understand for yourself some basic principles of strength training.

During the fight you will have to constantly move: jump, wriggle in grips, push, pull, squat, etc. Accordingly, you need to choose those exercises that are similar to movements in a duel. This especially applies to working with your own weight. Push-ups, squats, burpees, pull-ups, lunges, etc. are ideal. All these exercises can (and should) be combined into a circuit training session and performed without pauses or with a short break, depending on your functional readiness.

It is extremely useful to use a medicine ball in your training. You can make a complex of several throws for 2-3 minutes. Then perform several rounds, taking a break between them to recover.

You can also try to do barbell complex(20 kg Olympic bar):

Deadlift
Clean
Standing chest press
Front squat
Jerk
Bent-over row

All exercises are performed for 5-6 rounds with a minute break. You can gradually add weight, but 45-50 kg is enough for even the most trained heavyweight fighter, so don’t overdo it.

The key point, as you have already noticed, is cyclicality. Circuit training is the choice of an athlete involved in martial arts.
It is clear that MMA fighters cannot afford to spend a lot of time on strength training. The lion's share of training is spent on developing striking and wrestling techniques. Before serious fights, athletes practically do not leave the gym at all, trying to add something new to their existing arsenal or further improve their favorite blows and throws.

Since we are talking about preparing for fights, let’s see how the highest level masters, fighters from the top 10 of the MMA rankings in different weight categories, do it today.

Teamwork - more fun together

How about watching a fight every week, albeit a training fight, between two top fighters? This was unimaginable until UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier, who also confidently ranks among the top ten light heavyweight fighters, met in the same room.

The situation is unique, but you can’t imagine anything better for the professional growth of an athlete. To meet the strongest fighter on the planet in sparring every week and stay alive - no Octagon is scary after that. Log in to William Hill - World of Trading and place your bet on any of the mixed martial arts fighters.

Why does an MMA fighter need Aikido?

An interesting trend is the desire of top fighters to invite masters of traditional martial arts - karate, aikido, capoeira and wushu - as coaches. For example, the above-mentioned Daniel Cormier, before the fight with the already great (4 title defenses) and terrible Jon Jones, called Steven Seagal himself, a famous aikido master, whose professional level is highly appreciated by major experts from the world of martial arts, as his mentor.

True, Seagal’s advice did not help Cormier in the fight with the champion - the defeat turned out to be quite painful. But this does not mean that there is no point in inviting traditional martial arts masters. In the long term, they can teach a fighter better control of his body, which will ultimately lead to serious progress.

So the explosive power of your muscles should not be the last thing if you want to succeed in mixed martial arts.

Page sponsor:

The name John Hackleman is known to many fans of mixed martial arts. You know exactly the fighters he worked with: the legendary Chuck “The Iceman” Lidell and Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz, who were UFC* light heavyweight champions and had 4 and 5 title defenses, respectively. Also, John had a hand in preparing the famous Jake Shields and Tim Kennedy. Hackleman is currently working with Brazilian Glover Teixeira, who is ranked 3rd in the light heavyweight rankings of the most influential MMA organization in the world, the UFC.

*Ultimate Fighting Championship (Absolute Fighting Championship) is a sports organization headquartered in Las Vegas, USA, and conducting mixed rules fights in North America, Europe, and Asia. Under the auspices of the UFC, the majority of MMA fighters occupying leading positions in the world rankings compete, and fights are broadcast in 130 countries in 20 different languages.

John Hackleman has always emphasized CrossFit for MMA fighters in training

Today John Hackleman will talk about what CrossFit is for mma fighters and share his top 10 CrossFit complexes that he uses when training his students.

What's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard for being lazy? "I have no time". Don't tell me you're too busy to do one of these 10 CrossFit exercises for MMA fighters, many of which will only take a few minutes of your precious time.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 1. tabata

A short 4-minute training session consisting of 8 20-second work intervals, each followed by 10 seconds of rest. Tabata training gives you complete freedom in terms of exercise choice. For example, when doing CrossFit for MMA fighters, you can use the following movements:

20 seconds of double jumping rope followed by 10 seconds of rest
20 second sprint performed at near maximum effort on a 10% incline track followed by 10 seconds rest

In a word, use your imagination and get to work!

All the beauty of mixed martial arts. Fragments of UFC fights.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 2. manmaker

This is one of the most severe CrossFit complexes for MMA fighters. Your task is to perform manmakers for 5 minutes. If this is your first time performing this movement, use small dumbbells or kettlebells and get a feel for the technique. By the way, we discussed its analysis, as well as the advantages of manmakers, in one of our previous articles (link below).

MMA fighter John "Bones" Jones (left) fights Rashad Evans. In 2011, Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history. He was 23 years old then.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 3. "Black Jack"

The name of the complex was not given by chance - when doing push-ups and squats, you will need to score a total of 21 repetitions in each round. So:

perform 20 push-ups and 1 squat
perform 19 push-ups and 2 squats

...so in the last round you will complete 1 push-up and 20 squats.

Total number of repetitions: 210 push-ups and 210 squats.

MMA fighter Conor McGregor. By defeating Eddie Alvarez on November 12, 2016, Conor unified his December 2015 featherweight title with the lightweight title. McGregor is the first champion in two weight categories at the same time in UFC history.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 4. classic crossfit-AMRAP

Everything is familiar to us - 4 fundamental movements that involve the whole body.

Task: Complete the maximum number of rounds in 20 minutes:

10 pull-ups
21 push-ups
21 squats
21 sit-ups

Specialization: gymnastics, athletics

MMA fighter Ronda Rousey before her next title defense. August 1, 2015.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 5. 7 minutes burpee

Hackleman says this is one of the toughest complexes he has ever done. Perhaps its only advantage is the complete absence of the need for any special equipment.

Task: complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes:

burpee

Specialization: gymnastics

MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre in a fight with Josh Koscheck at UFC 124, December 11, 2010. Georges defended the welterweight title 10 times, which allowed him to constantly occupy the top lines of the ranking of the best fighters, regardless of weight category, for many years in a row.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 6. crossfit wod Annie (Annie)

Original name: Annie

Title (in Russian): Annie

Specialization: gymnastics

Exercise:

Perform 50-40-30-20-10 repetitions (for time):

double jump rope
sit-ups

Fragments of UFC fights.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 7. run

Running is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about endurance. And it is impossible to do without it in the process of functional training of a fighter.

Task: finish in minimum time:

run 1 mile (1600 meters)

Specialization: Athletics

The wife of MMA fighter Cain Velasquez congratulates her husband on his victory over Antonio Silva at UFC 160. May 25, 2013.

crossfit wod for MMA fighters No. 8. Fight gone bad

This crossfit wod was created specifically for the training of the famous MMA fighter BJ Penn (inducted into the UFC hall of fame) and was an attempt to simulate the loads in mixed martial arts. The complex is performed for 5 rounds, lasting 5 minutes each (one round lasts 5 minutes in most organizations conducting fights according to the rules of mixed martial arts; fights for championship titles last 5 rounds, and more recently, the main fights of the evening (in the UFC)) . In the scaled version, 3 rounds are performed.

Original name: Fight Gone Bad

Title (in Russian): The fight was unsuccessful

Specialization: gymnastics, weightlifting, athletics

Exercise:

Complete 5 rounds:

1 minute: throwing the ball at the target, 9 kg - maximum repetitions
2 minutes: sumo row to the chin, 35 kg - maximum reps
3 minutes: box jumps, 50 cm - maximum repetitions
4 minutes: push push, 35kg - maximum repetitions
5 minutes: rowing - maximum calories

The most prolific heavyweight knockout artist and one-time heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos (left), knocks out veteran Fabricio Werdum in his UFC debut. October 25, 2008.

Daily routine of an MMA fighter

“Start the day with a run”

UFC fighters are professionals who have achieved the highest level of excellence in MMA. Their preparation is carried out by a whole laboratory, which controls the metabolism in the body and the process of weight loss, functional and physical exercises, work in sparring and tactical analysis of the future opponent. If a failure occurs at any stage, it can cause irreparable damage to the fighter and lead to defeat.

A typical training day begins with a morning run, which usually lasts between 5 and 7 km and is done at a relaxed pace. Some fighters prefer to run in the mountains, while others prefer to run at home with a dog. Jogging is an integral part of training, which allows you to quickly get a few invigorating breaths of fresh air and wake up the body without resorting to harmful caffeine. After a run, you must take a shower, after which you can safely go to breakfast.

You should never overload your stomach at breakfast. In addition, fighters begin to lose weight a month and a half before the fight, and therefore cannot afford sweet and fatty foods, not to mention fast food, soda or alcohol. Oatmeal, honey, fruits or berries and vegetables are best for breakfast. A fighter can also drink a vitamin or protein shake at breakfast and begin preparing for the first training session.

Load all the muscles

Any workout begins with a warm-up. Since in MMA a fighter uses absolutely all muscles. He must fully prepare them for training. Stretching usually lasts 10-15 minutes, but this is the American school standard. Russian fighters training using Soviet methods can spend up to half an hour on this exercise. When preparing for a fight, the duration of the warm-up increases, as it is necessary to work on speed and endurance.

Then an intense workout begins, which lasts up to an hour and a half. First of all, the fighter performs coordination exercises. Now many people use the popular CrossFit system. Then comes the dynamic phase of training. Exercises include running and various types of jumping. Finally, the final phase is the strength phase. This is working both with iron and with your own weight. For example, top light heavyweights Alexander Gustafsson and Ryan Bader actively practice working on the horizontal bar or gymnastic rings. After an intense workout, some fighters may go for a swim in the pool, then go to lunch and then take an hour to sleep. As for the content of the lunch itself, the basic principle is the simpler the better. There is no need for excesses and exotic ingredients that can only cause harm.

One against all

The second evening training session is usually sparring. Since MMA is a universal fight, it includes both ground and stand-up work. Modern elite fighters use the MMA cage for this, since working at the net in the clinch and on the ground is a very important part of preparation. Many believe that Fedor Emelianenko did not have enough work on this component during his performances in Strikeforce. In sparring, a fighter works with several partners who can model a future opponent, or can be narrow specialists in a particular field, for example, boxing or jiu-jitsu.

After training, it's time for dinner. For the final meal, fish, salad or rice are good, and it ends with a portion of a vitamin cocktail. An intense day flies by and it’s already nine o’clock in the evening. The remaining time before bed can be devoted to a walk, communication with family, reading or a movie. It's a matter of taste and life priorities for everyone.

Source: "Championship"

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