MMA Workouts: “Strength Center” Training
July 8, 2008 by admin · 2 Comments
We’ve all seen the image - whether it be from a Nike or Gatorade ad or from a scene in pretty much any of the Rocky movies. The scene; an exhausted athlete/fighter with his feet hooked under a decline bench struggling to complete the final repetitions of his gruelling workout. He’s got sweat pouring out of every sweat gland, his shirt is soaked and the agony seen in his facial expressions resemble that of someone being tortured.
Sit ups seem to be the staple exercise for combat athletes. However, what most people don’t realize is that while sit-ups/crunches may be beneficial for certain aspects of the fight game, they’re not the be-all, end-all solution to torso training. In order to put together a “functional” core conditioning program, you need to have a basic understanding of the anatomy of the mid-section. Here’s a very brief overview..
The abdominals (”abs”) are what you are training with the more traditional exercises like sit ups and crunches. Leg raise movements also train the abdominals with additional recruitment from the hip flexors (muscles that move the leg upwards at the hip). Training the hip flexors is important as strong (not tight) hip flexors will enable you to deliver devastating knee strikes.
To enhance the effectiveness of the traditional crunch-type exercises, you may want to have a partner drop a light medicine ball on your stomach as you perform the movement and toss it back up to him as you move to an elevated position. This will make the movement more “MMA specific” as it will strengthen the abdominal region and better prepare you to withstand those “body-shots” to the mid-section. You can also perform crunches with your feet next to a long punching bag and as you move to an elevated position, rotate and deliver two punches to the bag. The rotary movement brings us to the next muscle group ..
Obliques
The obliques (both internal and external) are extremely functional as they work together to rotate the torso. A large percentage of your strength training workouts should be designed with the goal of increasing your rotary strength as it translates to pretty much all of the movements you do in MMA. Here is a brief breakdown of some MMA related movements that will be improved through the implementation of rotary exercises..
Punches: Punching power stems not just from the chest, shoulders and arms, but even more importantly - the rotary strength of the core. If you were to analyze your punches, whether it be a hook or an uppercut; an overhand right or even a jab - you’d realize that the they all involve a rotation of the core (some more than others.)
Mount Escapes: One mount escape involves bucking your opponent upwards, trapping an arm, hooking a leg and rolling him over. As with punches, your efficiency to do so relies on the rotary strength of your core.
Kicking: Kicking; whether it be a spinning back kick or one of those powerful Thai-style kicks that involve turning your hips over to increase the force of the impact - it’s all dependant on core strength. The greater the rotary strength of the core, the greater the force of the kick. It’s really that simple.
Transversus Abdominus
The often-overlooked transversus abdominus muscle helps stabilize the core (along with other muscles) and plays an important role in the breathing sequence. There’s a technique known as “setting the abdominals” that activates the transversus abdominus. To perform the technique, you simply inhale, tighten your stomach, then exhale while keeping your stomach tight/flat. If you were to perform crunches using this “abdominal set”, you would rotate the pelvis forward as doing so will emphasize the natural curve of your lower back.
Beyond the obvious benefits, a strong lower back will do wonders for your MMA game (particularly while grappling). Whether you’re trying to posture up from your opponents guard or escape from a triangle choke (Rampage vs. Arona style) - a strong lower back is key. When you’re training the lower back, try to make the exercises as functional as possible. Deadlifts are excellent as they mimic specific movements that are commonly performed in MMA competition.
If you’re a little confused as to which MMA-specific exercises you should be performing, you can keep checking back as we’ll be posting workouts in the near future. If you want a comprehensive encyclopedia-like guide on all sorts of specific core exercises for combat athletes - just CLICK HERE!
Here is a brief preview of the “combat core” book and DVD series.
Punching Power Workout
June 23, 2008 by admin · 4 Comments
If there’s one thing you take from this article, let it be that power is a result of the combination of strength and speed (strength + speed = power). When designing a training program to increase the power of your punches, you can’t have a one-dimensional view on things. Your exercise selection and training parameters (reps, contraction speed, rest etc.) should be varied for optimal results.Before I got into martial arts, my chest workouts consisted of the standard decline, flat and incline pressing movements and occasionally, I’d throw in a cable fly exercise to finish off. Now that my priorities have shifted from bodybuilding to performance enhancement, my chest workout is now geared around improving both the speed and power of my punches.
I’ve put together a sample workout for you guys to try. Keep in mind that the purpose of this workout is to develop speed and power. Don’t neglect your endurance training because as you already know, muscular endurance is an extremely important aspect of the fight game.
Without further ado, here’s the workout..
I start things off with the barbell bench press exercise and I’ll go relatively heavy. The purpose of this is to develop maximum strength (recall that punching power is a result of strength and speed). If you can, attach chains or resistance bands to the end of the barbell as doing so will provide additional resistance as you drive the barbell upwards.
Exercise Guidelines
- 5 Sets
- Gradually increase the weight
- Repetitions = 10,8,6,4,1-2
- Rest = 2-4 minutes (heavier load = longer rest)
This is a great exercise for hand speed and punching power providing it’s done in an explosive fashion. For this exercise, you would use only around 25% of what you would normally use for your regular sets. As for the execution, you basically toss it up as high as you can, catch it, quickly lower the barbell towards the chest (don’t go beyond a 90 degree angle) and toss the barbell up again. Make quicker the exercise is performed, the more effective it will be.
Exercise Guidelines
- 3 Sets
- 6-8 repetitions per set
- Rest = 3 minutes
Yet another great exercise to improve the power of your punches is the plyometric push up. To perform the exercise, you will need to find two of the steps used in aerobics classes and position them between 4-6 feet apart (depending on the length of your arms). You start in a push up position with 1 hand placed atop each bench. When you’re ready, push off and move your hands to a position between the steps. Without hesitation, explode upwards and move your hands back atop the steps.
Exercise Guidelines
- 3 sets
- As many reps as possible (to make it harder, increase the height of the steps)
- Rest interval = 3 minutes
This exercise is a great way to not only add power to your punches, but also to increase your core strength since you’ll have to brace your torso throughout the movement. Make sure you grab the barbell BELOW the weight plate and not above it. Holding the barbell too high will force you to drive your arm forward at an upward arc that’s unrealistic to throwing a real punch. Keep a stance identical to the stance you’d use while fighting. This exercise; as with most of the exercises in this workout, should be done in an explosive fashion.
Exercise Guidelines
- 3 sets
- 15 reps each
- Do both arms consecutively before resting
- 2 minutes rest
Resistance Band Punches
This is about as functional as it gets. Resistance band punches are excellent for hand speed as you’re simply punching against resistance. To perform the exercise, all you do is wrap a couple resistance bands around the bar on a pulley station (or anything that’s shoulder height). You then grasp the handles and ensure that the bands are positioned under your arms. From there, it’s easy - you shadowbox. If you have a workout partner with you, get him to hold the focus mitts for you. It’s actually pretty fun. As you fatigue, you simply drop one band and continue the exercise (providing your using more than one resistance band).
Exercise guidelines
- 3 rounds
- 1 minute each
- 1 minute rest
Freemotion Hooks
This exercise is performed on the freemotion cable machine. Not every gym has one of these. If yours does, then I guess you’re in luck. The resistance band exercise worked on the speed of your straight shots while this exercise is designed to train your hand speed and punching power on your hooks. The freemotion hook exercise is also great for developing rotary power within your core.
Exercise Guidelines
- 3 sets (each arm)
- 10 repetitions
- 1 minute rest
So give this program a try and see how you like it. You’ll probably find it to be a refreshing chance of pace. I prefer this workout over my old bodybuilding workouts. I especially like the reaction I get from confused people when they see me doing some of them and shadowboxing in between my sets.
Enjoy!
Keep in mind, most of these exercises focus on the chest & shoulder region. Perhaps even more important is developing the rotary strength of your core region. Core development is very important for not only your punching power, but also, about 90% of MMA related movements. There’s a book out that has all kinds of crazy, yet functional core exercises designed specifically for the martial artist. If you’re interested, you can check it by clicking the link.. THIS IS THE LINK
