Martial artists are some the most disciplined athletes you will find. Initially, the UFC was more about which style worked better. As the sport evolved, fighters realized that they had to have both a standup game and a ground game to succeed. In today’s MMA arena, a new revolution is talking place.
It is no longer a matter of being a BJJ black belt, an accomplished Muay Thai fighter, or an NCAA wrestling champ to succeed. The competitive edge comes to those who have deep conditioning plans that detail how to train all year round.
The outcome of many fights is now coming down to who has the most gas left in the tank. This concept is prevalent in many other sports as well. Besides the physical edge, if an athlete is fresh - the mind is clearer, reactions quicker and balance is better.
Whether you are fighting professionally, or just want your next BJJ belt, or want to train injury free, you need to stay in shape even when you’re not on the mat. A conditioning program should address:
1. Movement evaluation of the fighter or trainee.
2. Evaluation of physical strengths and weaknesses.
3. Evaluation of current nutritional intake.
4. In-depth analysis of current performance.
5. Identifying specific performance needs and goals.
6. Detailed outline of conditioning program modules.
7. Coordination of programming time table with other professionals
8. Implementation of conditioning and nutrition.
9. Post event evaluation.
10. Sports psychology analysis
MMA conditioning falls into these categories:
1. Cardiovascular endurance
2. Explosive strength
3. Muscular endurance and strength
4. Functional strength
5. Sport specific flexibility
6. Nutrient timing
I have produced 5 MMA Training DVDs that cover these approaches. They are available at UFC.com.
