Is MMA a good workout? Can it help me get in shape?
This post gives you 10 reasons why MMA is more than just a good workout.
It is a great workout not only to get in shape and lose weight but also to learn new skills, gain confidence, develop your mind, mental toughness, balance coordination as well as the ability to defend yourself out in the street.
So here are 10 reasons why we believe MMA is a good workout – if not the best workout anyone can do.
1. An MMA workout is Good for Beginners or Any Level
Is MMA a good workout for an absolute beginner?
Yes, MMA or mixed martial arts training can be good for anyone regardless of level of experience and current fitness level.
Even very experienced martial artists will find a typical MMA workout to be very challenging no matter their current level of fitness.
It will be challenging but even a beginner and someone out of shape can start MMA training without the fear of getting thrown to the ground, mounted or choked out.
An MMA workout can be scaled to fit anyone’s experience or fitness level. And thus it is suitable for beginners and experienced martial artists or black belts alike.
Most MMA workouts involve bodyweight movements and thus risk of injury from lifting heavy weights is not present which also makes it good for those who are not used to physical exercise or training.
2. MMA Training Burns a Whole Lot of Calories
As MMA is a full body workout that involves ground work and stand up with engagement of the core and lots of cardio as well as bodyweight training, the number of calories burned per exercise is significant.
In fact an MMA workout can burn up to 351 calories for someone who weighs 180 pounds or 419calories per hour for a person weighing 125 calories in 30 minutes according to https://burned-calories.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts
Compare that with a Harvard study that found for 30 minutes of activity the following exercises burned:
| Activity | Calories Burned by a 155 pound person | Calories Burned by a 155 pound person |
|---|---|---|
| Hatha Yoga | 144 | 168 |
| Swimming | 216 | 252 |
| Aerobics | 252 | 294 |
| Stair Step Machine | 216 | 252 |
| Elliptical Trainer | 324 | 378 |
3. MMA Includes Unilateral Movements
Unilateral exercises or exercises working one side of the body at a time and that require balance and core engagement are found to be excellent for burning calories and getting in shape.
Unilateral training is an often overlooked area of developing a fit and healthy body but has become more popular.
Often times we as human beings tend to have one side stronger than the other and through training such as MMA we can identify which side is stronger for example with our knee strikes and develop them individually to even them out.
Of course MMA does involve a typical striking stance with power at the rear but it also involves grappling and defending takedowns with power at the front type of stance such as in Judo and BJJ.
MMA includes a lot of unilateral movements such as:
- standing on one leg while kicking and kneeing
- posting one on knee when passing guard
- balancing one one leg when your kick is caught
- defending a single leg takedown
As well as many other movements involved in striking, grappling, throwing, wrestling and groundwork which challenge your core strength and balance.
All this provides a far more effective workout than repetitive movements such as running, lifting weights, cycling, rowing or using the elliptical.
4. MMA Teaches New Skills
Mixed martial arts involves different techniques across different martial arts styles.
By training MMA you will also learn a whole host of new skills which sharpen your mind and challenge your brain and mental ability to learn new skills and think clearly under physical strain.
An MMA workout is more than just punching and kicking but covers techniques such as grappling and throwing from Judo, BJJ and wrestling as well as submissions.
You will not only be challenging your body physically but also developing new skills and stimulating your cognitive development as well.
This way you develop more holistically than simply exercising only your body through repetitive simple movements.
5. MMA Develops Self Confidence and Mental Toughness
Getting through a tough MMA workout and doing this consistently will build your confidence, determination and mental as well as physical toughness.
Knowing that you are learning and practicing skills that can also be used to defend yourself in a physical altercation also builds a great deal of self confidence that can translate into multiple other areas of your life to your benefit.
MMA is a great workout in that it not only develops your physical fitness and conditioning but your confidence and mental toughness as well.
6. MMA Builds Muscle & Burns Fat
MMA fighters possess some of the most ripped and shredded, muscular techniques of any high level athlete.
And a lot of this is due to the MMA training they undergo multiple times per week and even twice per day in fight camp when preparing to do battle in the cage.
Muscular strength is a major requirement in MMA in comparison to combat sports such as boxing and kickboxing due to the clinching and grappling aspect of MMA which is so important.
Muscular endurance is also a major aspect of MMA training and bodyweight exercises in a variety of positions, across different places of movement and often on a single will develop core strength and the ripped but also muscular physique of an MMA fighter.
The cardio required to survive in the cage is also a major requirement of MMA training and will help to burn off excess bodyfat to develop the lean sleek physique that MMA fighters possess.
7. MMA Workouts Don’t Require a Lot of Equipment
Another great reasons we believe MMA is a good workout is that fact that you can train MMA solo at home.
You don’t require joining a gym or learning from a sensei and purchasing a special uniform in order to learn and train.
There are many useful free resources online you can access to get an MMA workout in anytime from home with just a little space and no equipment at all.
And really anyone can attain the physique of an MMA fighter without ever setting foot in the cage or ring.
8. MMA Improves Coordination and Balance
MMA training involves coordination of both sides of the body using both arms and legs to throw and land combination techniques and chaining together punches, kicks, knees and elbows.
In addition to the striking involved in MMA, coordination is required in order to combine strikes with takedowns.
Being able to utilize footwork to engage, strikes to clinching and executing a takedown to landing in a favorable and dominant position and transitioning to ground control and potential submissions require a high level of coordination and balance.
By training MMA you will be able to develop this level of coordination and balance together with muscular strength, endurance and conditioning that few other sports or physical training programs can achieve.
9. MMA Develops Aerobic & Anaerobic Conditioning
Aerobic conditioning and anaerobic conditioning are worked in a typical MMA training session.
Aerobic means ‘with oxygen’ is this is the type of conditioning developed through longer more sustained repetitive training such as roadwork, cycling and the elliptical.
Anaerobic means ‘without oxygen’ and is the type of conditioning that is developed in shorter more explosive bursts of physical activity such as sprinting.
Both forms of conditioning are required and are vital in MMA.
A typical MMA training program will work and develop both systems.
The aerobic system needs to be in top shape to last 5 rounds of 5 minutes with constant movement.
And the anaerobic system is required for intense short bursts such as when throwing a combination, executing or defending a takedown and scrambling to your feet or to get on top and in a dominant position over your opponent.
All these aspects need to be developed and are done so through MMA training.
10. MMA Training Will Improve Your Flexibility
Flexibility is also crucial to MMA and MMA training will definitely help you develop and improve your flexibility over time.
Executing roundhouse kicks, knees, hip escapes, single and double leg takedowns not only require flexibility but also will help develop your flexibility when performed with proper technique and after a thorough warm up.
MMA requires movement across different places and unilaterally on one leg or one knee and training these safely and after a through warm up will help you develop your flexibility over time.
Also the standard stretching and mobility work before and after MMA training will further improve your flexibility and improve your MMA technique.
What Does an MMA Workout Look Like?
Below is a sample MMA workout anyone can perform at home or in the gym with minimum equipment.
A heavy bag and boxing/MMA gloves would be ideal but all the heavy bag workouts can be done with shadow boxing.
The ground work exercises can also be done without a heavy bag but do require performing them on a softer surface such as mats or even outside on the grass.
I have other posts on this site with full MMA workouts you can use for your training:
- MMA Workout at Home for Technique and Conditioning
- MMA Heavy Bag Workout
Example MMA Workout That Can be Done at Home
- Foam rolling (10 mins) – focus on the hips, lower back, calves, upper back and hamstrings
- Skipping 1 3 minute rounds
- Shadow boxing 1 5 minute round
By now you should be nice and warm and ready for more strenuous MMA training but still don’t got overboard and focus on keeping good technique over power power and speed.
- Heavy Bag Striking 3 3 minute rounds (if you don’t have a heavy bag you can always just shadow box)
- Technical stand up – 20 each side
- Shrimping – 20 each side
- Shrimp to technical stand up – 15 each side
- Heavy bag throws 1 x 5 minute round (you can also shadow grapple these throws and takedowns)
- Heavy bag throw to guard passes 1 x 5 minute round (stand back up after passing guard)
Jog in place or slowly jog around your area to cool down.
- Cool down and stretching 15 mins
