Consider mixed martial arts as a competitive sport. We have a blend of striking, wrestling, and grappling. Each relying on power, strength, and speed. All at a very high level of skill. So how do we maximise our power strength and speed gains, with the least time away from that skill acquisition?
Tip 1. Get your sprints in
75% of Mixed Martial arts fights are won in a 6 – 36 second bout of energy
- A 6 – 36 second burst of energy is reliant on our anaerobic energy system
- Maximising the number of times, you can do repeatable sprints is key to success
- The anaerobic energy system improves best when using a work to rest ratio of 1:3, 1:4 or 1:5
- 20 seconds of sprint work with a 60 second rest is a work to rest ratio of 1:3
- Sprint training takes a small amount of time giving more time for skill acquisition
- 5 rounds of 20 second sprints are completed fast
- It also trains you to move and react fast
Tip 2. Get the most out of your weight class
Weight is often monitored closely going up to your fight
- Strength isn’t just a factor of muscle mass
- Strength is a skill like anything else and can be trained
- We can improve power without adding lots of lean body mass
- The body will adapt to lifting the heavy weights
- This is by stimulating high threshold motor units
- Big compound lifts will maximise recruitment and get the most out of limited time
- Lifting explosively is key to improving power
- Lifting HEAVY around 90% of our 1 RM is the only way to stimulate the body enough to adapt
- Using fewer sets or less volume < 3 sets to stop fatigue
- Using less reps in that high % of our 1 rm < 3 reps to stop muscle gain
Tip 3. Tapering
- To ensure we aren’t too sore by competition week we need too lower volume going into final preparation
- Nothing worse than dragging lead legs on fight night
- We still want to be lifting heavy weights and stimulating the nervous system while allowing for significant recovery
- The best way to do this is by lowering volume while maintaining intensity so drop from 3 working sets down to 1 or 2 two weeks out while maintaining the same weights
- Take 5 rounds of sprints down to 3
- Less food intake and a controlled diet will increase the chances of injury
- Tapering will also lower these chances of injury at the final stages of camp
- Lowering impact is key to avoiding this
- Drop bag work for mitt work
- Lower run distances or switch running for the bike
- Sprint uphill instead of on flats
- Fewer rounds but higher intensity
Bonus tips
- Warm up the same at training the same as how you will on fight night
- No warm-up rounds in sparring, get use to going hard from the start (theirs no warm up sets on fight night)
What we do at perform360
- Big compound lifts at high weights
- Ideal for recruiting those high threshold motor units
- Conditioning often focusing around sprint work
- Accessory work to compliment the power work
- Exercises that are applicable for the cage, ring or field
- Ideal for the athlete with time restrictions
Author Jordan Payne – Strength and Conditioning Coach and MMA athlete.