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MMA Training - 5 Ways to Maximize Your Mixed Martial Arts Workout

Author: Nathan Lonergan
Date Posted: March 19, 2009

Many people think that because they are involved in a certain discipline, that is all they need to do, and due to strict training in that discipline they will, over time, become a "master" at their skill.

Although many fighters prefer one discipline, and tout that discipline when they fight, Mixed Martial Arts is just that "mixed." Every fighter that has the desire to become the best at what they do must implement 5 items into their routine to get at the top of their game. These 5 items are:

1. Diet. Every fighter must have a consistent, healthy diet. The food we eat is the fuel that keeps us going throughout the day and through our workouts. Every fighter should be up to speed on what is healthy and what is not. This does not only include the types of foods we eat but the supplements we take. Diet is something you should not leave in the hands of someone else to make decisions for you. "If you put crap in, you get crap out."

2. Cardio. I wrestled for 4 years in high school and for every hour we spent on the mat, we spent at least an hour doing some sort of cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Cardio exercises include jumping rope, plyometrics, running (on a treadmill or on the street), biking, swimming, etc. Although it is nice to pick a routine, changing up the types of cardio you do, will cause "muscle confusion" allowing you to break down the muscle more effectively, becoming stronger, and in better shape. It also eliminates the monotony of your workouts.

3. Strength Training. Back to the high school days. Included in every workout was pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc. You will notice while watching the UFC, WEC or whatever your league of choice is, that the pro fighters have deep core strength. This deep core strength can be built through continuous heavy lifting from working on a farm, or through a regular weightlifting routine. Since many people don't work on farms these days the only alternative is weightlifting.

4. Martial Arts Training. Every fighter must be involved in a consistent martial arts training regimen. I prefer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo or other grappling martial arts, but this does not mean they are the best, or most effective. Lyoto Machida, who at the time of this article is 13-0-0 in his mixed martial arts career is a Karate fighter, and obviously (based on his professional record) has used Karate effectively to dominate his opponents.

At one time I made contact with an instructor who taught Tae-kwon-do and claimed that Jiu-Jitsu was predictable and could be learned in two weeks. I cannot disagree more. All martial arts require consistent practice. Those that are interested in martial arts do them for many reasons, but common to all martial arts practitioners is the desire to be able to protect themselves (or others) when it "comes down to the wire." The only way to be able to do this is create muscle memory through consistent, long-term practice and training.

5. Sleep. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a training routine. Every fighter should get, at a minimum, 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night (or more if they can). Sleep is your recovery time to rebuild your muscles. Remember when you train, you are "tearing" your muscles. These very small tears need to repair themselves. Our bodies do the majority of their muscle building and repair when we are asleep. Sleep could be considered one of the most important aspects of a solid training routine.

About The Author

If you like what you read in this article, check out my website at http://www.bodyarmormma.com/ to get more information about any of the topics discussed above and get my latest comments on what is happening in the MMA world

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of Exercise articles.

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