MMA Strength Training

Although the title of this article is specifically strength training for MMA, and that is the main focus that I want to concentrate on, the general principles are basically the same whatever martial art or self-defense system that you happen to practice so hopefully this info will be of use to more than just MMA enthusiasts and competition fighters.

The first thing that you have to take into account when putting together a strength training program for MMA or other martial arts is that the best training practice for you probably won't be the what most other people at the gym are doing - so don't just copy someone's body building program because they recommend it, or take general weight training advise on putting together a training plan from people whose purpose is not the same as yours. Most people at the gym lifting weights are there either for general health reasons or because they want to improve their appearance by losing fat and building up muscle. It is a common misunderstanding to think that anything which is good for adding muscle is good for strength and therefore for your power as a fighter. But this is not actually true. Apart from anything else there are different types of strength and different types of muscle - slow twitch and fast twitch. Also, many people who just want to build muscles for appearance will put together a system which focuses heavily on particular showy muscles, like the biceps, pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders) and so on, without worrying about the smaller and less glamorous muscles which are needed for functional strength (meaning strength that can be applied for the full range of possible movements rather than just the narrow range of a particular exercise.

For developing functional strength it is best to work out using free weights either in addition to or instead of machines which limit the range of motion and take away the work of smaller supporting muscle groups. Bodyweight exercises, such as push ups and pull ups are also good.

To increase explosive power for stronger punches and other strikes you need to work your fast twitch muscles. The kind of thing you need to be doing for this is somewhere between body building training and the kind of training done by power lifters. A body builder will generally do sets of somewhere in the region of 8-12 repetitions, which is great for building muscle size but not particularly for explosive power. A power lifter will do smaller sets with heavier weights, but they only need to do one lift in competition and then they have a break before attempting another lift, which isn't the same as an MMA fight. I recommend doing sets of 3-5, and some max sets of just one lift, with a heavy weight but with only a short gap between sets, or with aerobic exercise between sets instead of rest, so that you accustom your body to being able to unleash short burst of power again and again, and to apply the maximum possible power even when you are out of breath.

For grapplers being able to hold a fixed possition without giving an inch is also important. You can train this by holding a weight in the middle of a lift for as long as you can.