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Having Difficulty Finding Combat Sports Help For Conditioning?

The goal is for your combat sports training program to help with your MMA development

The term transfer carry-over, also known as transfer specificity, refers to how effective your training will actually be in improving your performance. The only activity that has a 100% transfer rate would be doing the actual activity you want to get better at. However, with the combat sports help in this article, you’ll be able to maximize your training time.

Overloading sport movements such as resisted shots, or punching with a band attached to your arm is one way to achieve this “transfer” to combat sports. However, altering a specific sport movement too much may in fact do more harm than good. Here is some combat sports help that will enable you to develop and/or implement a training program that has a higher “transfer” percentage.

Train the muscles that you use when participating in combat sports

All general fitness programs as well as sports conditioning programs should include exercises that work every major muscle group in the body. However, specific exercises that are similar in the following areas are important for carry-over:
  • neuromuscular recruitment
  • Energy systems-Although running for an hour will certainly be beneficial for the aerobic energy system, it won’t provide significant amount of combat sports help. This workout is perfect for working the energy systems used in MMA.
  • Biomechanical characteristics
Combat sports require full body conditioning; but the large muscles of the back, legs, and hips are especially important to perform almost all the activities required. Much time should also be devoted to developing the core. For optimal combat sports help, make sure that your core training includes low back exercises as well a glute and hamstring work.

Train the muscles the way you use them when training for maximum combat sports help

IsometricsThere are several different muscle actions used during combat sports, therefore several different muscle actions should be used during training. A combat sports conditioning program should include exercises which use a full range of motion.

Additionally, many holds that are utilized in MMA, wrestling, and BJJ require isometric muscle actions which recruit different muscle groups. For combat sports help with your performance, practice some of these actions.

Train the energy sources that are being used when participating in BJJ, MMA, or wrestling

The type of energy system you use for your particular form of combat will depend on the following:
  • The duration of your form of combat
  • The level of intensity reached
  • The rest period between rounds
Without getting too technical, plan your MMA conditioning program around the specific competition or event you’re training for. For example, if your fight is three 5 minute rounds with a minute rest between rounds, you may want to gear your training around those time frames. You can do 3, five minute circuits with 1 minute rest between circuits. Try to use a mixture of compound and explosive movements, as well as movements similar to the ones you may use in your fight.

There isn’t a lot of quality combat sports help out there because it’s a specialized field. However, it isn’t rocket science. One circuit may look like this:
  • 1 minute burpees
  • 1 minute squat into pull-up
  • 1 minute sled push
  • 1 minute double kicks
  • 1 minute isometric exercise
This is just a sample. You can modify the exercises and/or change the work/rest ratio.

A major contributor of energy during training comes from the lactic acid energy source. This type of exercise will result in an accumulation of lactic acid similar to that which happens when training for MMA.

You’re better off doing prehab than rehab

When dealing with injuries, it’s better to be proactive than reactive. Strengthening areas that are prone to injury will provide the following combat sports help:
  • Decrease your risk for injury
  • Minimize the damage caused by the injury
  • Decrease your recovery time from injury
This is a much better scenario than waiting until you get hurt to strengthen those areas.

Common sites for injury during MMA are the neck, shoulder, ankle, knee, and hands. Make sure to include extra exercises in your program to strengthen these areas. I recently took a kick to the head during sparring which made me realize how important it was that I’d been training my neck.

Many boxers and MMA fighters are constantly injuring and re-injuring their hands. Try this routine to keep your hands, wrist, and grip strong.

Summary

With a carefully designed plan, you will optimize your time in the gym and get the most “bang for your buck”. I know it’s difficult to find combat sports help. That’s why I wrote this article. Here are some tips to make sure you maximize carry-over to your MMA training.
  • Train the muscles you use most in combat sports, such as the muscle groups of the back, hips and legs. Additionally, spend some time strengthening the core and shoulders
  • Train the muscle actions used on the mat or in the ring or cage. This will include resistance exercises performed for the full range of motion as well as isometrics
  • Train the appropriate energy systems. While it would be foolish to completely neglect any one of the energy systems, spend the most time training in the energy system predominantly used (lactic acid system)
  • Perform mostly compound movements and structural movements (full body)
  • Determine the most common injury sites and work to enhance the strength and function of tissue in those areas to help prevent injury, minimize damage of injury, and recover faster
These guidelines should help you in designing the best MMA conditioning program for you. Remember that no two people are the same and what works for one person might not work for another. You have to implement the combat sports help that works for you!

References

1.) Fleck, Steven J., Kraemer, William J., (1997). Designing Resistance Training Programs. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL.

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