Thread: MMA/ Weight training routine

You have to prioritize in terms of what is going to make you a better fighter.

If attending classes and learning technique is going to help you, then focus on those and cut down on the weightlifting. If your strength is the limiting factor and you can benefit from strength training, cut back on the classes and prioritize weightlifting.

Here's a decent article I just read on this subject. It may not answer all of your questions, but it does have some good information: T NATION | 11 Myths of Warrior Training

Overall it's hard to know if you're overdoing it because I don't know your training experience, your recovery ability, and how intense these weightlifting and fighting sessions are going to be. You are the best judge of your body's ability to recover. Do you think you can fit all of this in?

I would hit up Supermansdaddy on this. He competes in MMA & professional boxing. He could give you some good ideas.

drop your training loads down to 50% of the 1RM, you won't tax the CNS or cause any microtrauma to skeletal muscle so your resistance training shouldn't cause any more DOMS at that level of intensity.

there are so many "MMA" schools out there so you are going to have to determine how to design your training routine based on the actual level of intensity of the MMA training so you can plan out your recovery periods effectively

Why would you drop your loads down to 50%? You're an athlete training to be strong - lifting at 50% of your max effort isn't going to do that.

I would say keep the loads heavy and the volume to a minimum. Only keep in the exercises that you think are going to be most important to your progress.

I agree though that you have to plan your recovery. That's why I said prioritize. Either drop your volume of fighting/technique work or drop your volume of weightlifting. Figuring out what is going to help you and including that work is the key to your success as an athlete.

Originally Posted by Flathead

I would hit up Supermansdaddy on this. He competes in MMA & professional boxing. He could give you some good ideas.

I agree. SD is our resident expert in this area, at least that I know about. Plus, he is a very nice guy who is always willing to help.

Originally Posted by gtbmed

Why would you drop your loads down to 50%? You're an athlete training to be strong - lifting at 50% of your max effort isn't going to do that.

I would say keep the loads heavy and the volume to a minimum. Only keep in the exercises that you think are going to be most important to your progress.

I agree though that you have to plan your recovery. That's why I said prioritize. Either drop your volume of fighting/technique work or drop your volume of weightlifting. Figuring out what is going to help you and including that work is the key to your success as an athlete.

taxing the CNS with heavy loads and training with DOMS while trying to learn new movements in MMA is less than optimum. took MA for over 20 years now been there done that..

Originally Posted by MDR

I agree. SD is our resident expert in this area, at least that I know about. Plus, he is a very nice guy who is always willing to help.

It's a bird, it's a plane.......well maybe not that dramatic but Flathead told me that somebody may have a question that I may be able to give a suggestion toward somethin that may be useful.

CARDIO IS KING

In any type on combat sport even combat kali, endurance and stamina are the most important factors.
A common mistake is to mistake Endurance and Stamina for the same thing..which there are not

Stamina

Is the ability to maintain a high tempo pace for a prolonged period and serve combos like Mac Donald's all night long.
However a lot of Stamina based fighters seem to lack a lot of power or the ability to respond effectively after absorb'n a lot of punishment.

Endurance

Is the ability to continue to press even when your body is under stress or shock .You can beat a guy like that till you get tired and he's still come'n forward. Problem with that is a lot of guys that fight in that style can take a lot a most times do because they can survive but a lot of times have nothin left of offer effective offense or defense.

You would need to address those issues first I'd think.
That would that us into a completely different approach to lift'n. As fighters we as well as bodybuilders lift weights, but with 2 TOTALLY different goals. Remember "fighters ARE NOT bodybuilders, we are BODYBREAKERS".

As far as resistance training we need to train for explosive power without sacrifice'n speed. In the gym at Kronk and Roy Jones Jr's where I trained for my last fight at we do whats called 10x10's
which one exercise per bodypart, for 10 sets of 10 reps focus on explode'n the very first part of every movement 45 second in between sets. You do not need to load the bar, that would defeat the purpose, instead you would load about 75% of your normal work load. That's Just one way of develop endurance and stamina,AND strength for combat. There are tons of things that are done at a professional level, this basic stuff. I would like to mention that weight train'n is just a small focus of a very rounded fighter. KO's come with good technique . I hope you find this helpful ,if you have any thing that you think I can be of help with PM me. Ask your trainer about power cardio , done with weights.

Peace and Love

Originally Posted by Supermans Daddy

It's a bird, it's a plane.......well maybe not that dramatic but Flathead told me that somebody may have a question that I may be able to give a suggestion toward somethin that may be useful.

CARDIO IS KING

In any type on combat sport even combat kali, endurance and stamina are the most important factors.
A common mistake is to mistake Endurance and Stamina for the same thing..which there are not

Stamina

Is the ability to maintain a high tempo pace for a prolonged period and serve combos like Mac Donald's all night long.
However a lot of Stamina based fighters seem to lack a lot of power or the ability to respond effectively after absorb'n a lot of punishment.

Endurance

Is the ability to continue to press even when your body is under stress or shock .You can beat a guy like that till you get tired and he's still come'n forward. Problem with that is a lot of guys that fight in that style can take a lot a most times do because they can survive but a lot of times have nothin left of offer effective offense or defense.

You would need to address those issues first I'd think.
That would that us into a completely different approach to lift'n. As fighters we as well as bodybuilders lift weights, but with 2 TOTALLY different goals. Remember "fighters ARE NOT bodybuilders, we are BODYBREAKERS".

As far as resistance training we need to train for explosive power without sacrifice'n speed. In the gym at Kronk and Roy Jones Jr's where I trained for my last fight at we do whats called 10x10's
which one exercise per bodypart, for 10 sets of 10 reps focus on explode'n the very first part of every movement 45 second in between sets. You do not need to load the bar, that would defeat the purpose, instead you would load about 75% of your normal work load. That's Just one way of develop endurance and stamina,AND strength for combat. There are tons of things that are done at a professional level, this basic stuff. I would like to mention that weight train'n is just a small focus of a very rounded fighter. KO's come with good technique . I hope you find this helpful ,if you have any thing that you think I can be of help with PM me. Ask your trainer about power cardio , done with weights.

Peace and Love

There it is, thx bro!

Originally Posted by Supermans Daddy

KO's come with good technique .

unfortunately most people think that 100% of punching power comes from upper body strength, it does not. punching power "starts" from the feet/ground up via kinetic linkage. muscular strength/CNS training with resistance can aid via reflex action which is the electrical stimulus that causes muscle firing. the more muscle mass that fires in unison the greater the overall response by the muscles in terms of speed and strength as seen in the equation F = M x (V)2.

this is why boxing, MMA, etc. all have weight classes..in theory the heavier more powerful fighter should always win against the lighter fighter, skills and training aside.

Originally Posted by LAM

unfortunately most people think that 100% of punching power comes from upper body strength, it does not. punching power "starts" from the feet/ground up via kinetic linkage. muscular strength/CNS training with resistance can aid via reflex action which is the electrical stimulus that causes muscle firing. the more muscle mass that fires in unison the greater the overall response by the muscles in terms of speed and strength as seen in the equation F = M x (V)2.

this is why boxing, MMA, etc. all have weight classes..in theory the heavier more powerful fighter should always win against the lighter fighter, skills and training aside.

Power in strik'n come from ground up with the exception of power kick'n which is all core. In the end TIME"N and speed equal power punch'n and kick'n. No time'n, no penetration, no power, no snap= NOTHIN !!

As far as that theory about a "good big man will beat a good little man", Thats been SMASHED over and over from way back in the first UFC, Ramon Dekkers and Cheng Puk Kiatsongrit in Muay Thai, Rocky Marciano , Michal Spinks,Sugar Ray Robinson, Arron Pryor,Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran,Joe Louis,in box'n Andy Hugg in K1 Erine Hart and Alvin Prouder in Kickbox'n and way way too many fighters have proven that theory to be a myth.
Back in the 1800's and early 1900's there were no weight divsions which allowed things like Jack Johnson (200 lbs)to fight Mikey Walker (160)Weight classes are designed to allow a spread of never more than than 15 lbs up to the Back in the 1800's and early 1900's there were no weight divsions which allow things Light Heavyweight (175) division in the original agreement set in 1978 by the govern'n bodies of the WBC, WBA and the boxing commission .There was included the divisions called Super, by WBC and Junior by WBA such as Super welterweight ( 147 to 154) and Junior Middleweight ( 147 to 156) etc.Weight classes allowed Flyweight (108) and other lower weight fighters to compete as professionals for world titles as well.But when the smoke clears it's all bout the cash. The more titles the more money fights. Bottom line, end of story.Real Talk

Peace and Love

Originally Posted by Supermans Daddy

As far as that theory about a "good big man will beat a good little man", Thats been SMASHED over and over from way back in the first UFC, Ramon Dekkers and Cheng Puk Kiatsongrit in Muay Thai, Rocky Marciano , Michal Spinks,Sugar Ray Robinson, Arron Pryor,Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran,Joe Louis,in box'n Andy Hugg in K1 Erine Hart and Alvin Prouder in Kickbox'n and way way too many fighters have proven that theory to be a myth.

that's because of the human element in terms of thinking, computer models show the exact opposite when the training and "skill" level of the opponents is equal. it's like 2 race cars built almost exactly the same with the only difference being the addition a supercharger or nitrous to one. the car with highest power to weight ratio will win in the 1/4 mile race every single time as long as the driver doesn't error on a shift, it's a matter of physics.

Originally Posted by LAM

that's because of the human element in terms of thinking, computer models show the exact opposite when the training and "skill" level of the opponents is equal. it's like 2 race cars built almost exactly the same with the only difference being the addition a supercharger or nitrous to one. the car with highest power to weight ratio will win in the 1/4 mile race every single time as long as the driver doesn't error on a shift, it's a matter of physics.

I remember a computer model say'n Rocky Marciano would have KO'd Ali and another say'n Gerry Coony was gonna beat Foreman......... so much for that.All the examples of smaller fighters who beat big guys actually happened,no human element other than heart and desire You cannot compute those elements . In just my humble opinion. I understand your example of the matched cars ,Just in my mind the addition of desire and heart change everything. We are now off topic and I can talk fight game , history, dates, names, places ,titles all night and that's called highjack'n lolol.

Peace and Love

Originally Posted by Supermans Daddy

I remember a computer model say'n Rocky Marciano would have KO'd Ali and another say'n Gerry Coony was gonna beat Foreman......... so much for that.All the examples of smaller fighters who beat big guys actually happened,no human element other than heart and desire You cannot compute those elements . In just my humble opinion. I understand your example of the matched cars ,Just in my mind the addition of desire and heart change everything. We are now off topic and I can talk fight game , history, dates, names, places ,titles all night and that's called highjack'n lolol.

Peace and Love

you missed the point, skills being "exactly" the same it comes down to power. but with humans it's impossible for any 2 people to have the same exact level of skills in anything because we all have different life experiences and process information differently in the brain.