MMA or mixed martial arts practitioners and fighters are known to have some of the best conditioning and fitness of all athletes.
This is because of the different phases of an MMA fight and training session that utilize all of the energy systems the body uses.
In addition MMA requires full body movements, unilateral positions, good coordination and a high level of balance and core strength.
By utilizing of all of these systems, MMA training builds fitness and conditioning like no other physical pursuit out there.
So then how can build mma fitness? This will be the focus of this post.
To give you the best options, strategies and tactics in order to build your MMA fitness outside the gym.
This could be to improve your conditioning when you are not able to train at your local gym or to build the same kind of mma fitness fighters possess through your own solo home training.
This post will focus on three main areas of MMA fitness, these are Cardio, Strength and Mobility.
Let’s look at the most efficient ways to develop these areas of MMA fitness.
1. Cardio
Cardio refers to your “wind” or the systems which transport blood and oxygen around your body.
In order to develop your complete cardio for mma there are three energy systems which need to be worked and developed.
i) Aerobic
which basically means with oxygen. This system will provide the gas tank or energy reserves and will form the base of your cardio conditioning.
The aerobic system also is important as it refuels and regenerates the other 2 energy systems when they have been exhausted.
ii) Anaerobic Lactic
As energy output intensity increases, it becomes more difficult for the body to provide oxygen to fuel the aerobic pathways. This is when the anaerobic system becomes engaged.
Anaerobic basically means “without oxygen”.
At maximum exertion, the anaerobic lactic system is depleted within 60 to 120 seconds and the athlete will have a burning sensation in the muscles due to lactic acid build up
In an MMA fight this is the grinding type of fighting that includes grappling and groundwork where lactic acid builds up in your muscles.
This can be defending a choke or grappling for inside position in the clinch.
iii) Anaerobic Alactic
Sudden, explosive movements are fueled by the anaerobic alactic system which produces ATP at the fastest rate of the 3 energy systems.
Anaerobic alactic means “without oxygen, without lactic acid”.
The anaerobic alactic system is fueled by ATP and creatine phosphate which is a high energy substance. However as these energy sources are not very large in storage, they are exhausted within about 10 seconds of exertion.
In order to develop all three energy systems which you will use in an MMA fight or training session it is important to follow a periodized program.
This means focusing on each system for a set number of workouts and weeks and then moving onto the next energy system.
Check out my post on how to develop cardio efficiently to put together a complete cardio program for your MMA needs.
2. Strength
Compared to combat sports such as Muay Thai and Boxing, MMA requires a higher level of maximum strength.
Being able to be very strong for your fighting weight is essential in MMA and is required for the grappling aspect as well as takedowns.
So strength training is a hugely important part of mma fitness.
What kind of strength training is best for MMA?
Following a structured strength training program for a number of weeks is essential for MMA.
Your strength program for MMA should be progressively more intense and focus on different aspects of your overall conditioning.
Strength & Conditioning Coach Eric Wong in his popular Ultimate MMA S&C program designs his full program in a periodized manner that builds up the MMA fighter in different phases.
These phases are:
- Base Strength – improving/increasing your max strength
- Power – ability to generate force fast
- Power Endurance – repeated ability to produce force fast
i)Base Strength
You could begin by first increasing your max strength (base strength) for a period of 2-4 weeks or even longer depending on your goals and if you are prepping for a potential fight.
Base strength would include increasing your max strength in measurable lifts such as Bench, Deadlifts and Squats.
ii)Power
Power is the ability to produce force very fast :
Power = Force x Velocity
Where force is the amount of weight lifted and velocity is the speed that weight is lifted or moved.
Power training would be working with fast reps at lower weights. Working with weights 30-60% of your one rep max and lifting fast and explosively for short sets and full rest in between is how to develop your power.
iii)Power Endurance
Finally you want to peak with Power Endurance which is the ability to repeatedly throughout a fight or sparring session, produce great force.
Building on the previous two periods of strength training, Power Endurance will allow you be fast, powerful and explosive while having the ability to recover quickly and repeat your powerful combos, takedowns and counters.
So building up these three areas of strength in a focused 2-4 weeks for each area will allow you to develop the best type of strength for mma fitness.
3. Mobility
Mobility and flexibility are of importance to MMA athletes and dedicated time should be spent each week working on these areas.
The mobility portion of mma fitness can be done prior to training striking or grappling or prior to resistance training sessions.
Not only will these sessions help improve your mobility over the long term they also prep your body for the workout to come to help prevent energy and increase overall mobility.
By having greater mobility you will also be able to be more efficient in your movements thereby preserving energy and not wasting energy unneccesarily.
Hip Mobility for MMA
I have written a helpful post on Hip Mobility for martial artists which is applicable for mma fitness as well.
The hips are incredibly important for both striking and grappling and overall MMA fitness and should be worked on and improved within your MMA training program.
Practical benefits from improved hip mobility include smoother more powerful kicks, stronger and mobile guard for grappling and the ability to repeatedly go for and land take downs.
Testing Mobility/ROM & Setting Targets
I would highly recommend checking out Don Heatrick’s Muay Thai Strength & Conditioning Accelerator Program.
In Phase 1 ROM and Mobility are tested and targets set for improving full body mobility.
There are a series of simple mobility tests you can perform on oyur own to test you current level of mobility and set targets to work toward.
While Heatrick focuses more on Muay Thai than MMA the movement and mobility patterns tested and targeted for improvement work well for MMA fitess as well.
