Physical and strength training for MMA

[Italianfighter]

Currently I'm playing MMA, in my MMA Gym is possible to train 2 times per day 7 days per week for 2 hours per class.... so could be it enough also without weights.....

In past years I trained with weights (when I did I easily got bigger, I can gain muscles very very very easy) but now I'm not doing any strength training. I'm just doing Crossfit 1 or 2 times per week, in CF classes we do some strength exercise but not so much, mostly metcon.

Can be useful a strength training in the gym with weights? Are bullshit that strength training will decrease power and speed?

In my gym some guys do strength training others not. MMA coach told me that I may train gym with weights (deadlift, squat, pull-ups few reps heavy weight) 2 times per week and quit CF. What do you think?

 

[corpse]

it is indeed bullshit that strength training will decrease power and speed.

it all depends on your primary goals and your recovery.
if you are new to mma, then focus on your classes first.

if you feel you have still enough energy to do a serious strength training routine besides your martial arts training, then do it.
starting strength, stronglifts or 5/3/1 are good and simple routines.

also read the faq of this forum.
you need to develop a good lifting technique of squats, deadlifts, bench press etc. first.

probably starting strength is the best routine to chose as a beginner in strength training.
look up all the youtube videos.

have fun

 

[Italianfighter]

Thanks for your reply!

I’m not new started kick boxing when I was 16 years old about 10 years ago, then played BJJ an Boxing. Unfortunately I stopped all in 2011. I started last year MMA and Crossfit.

I’ve already a good lifting tequinque since I started weights more than 10 years ago... crossfit helped too (1 year of it) I can do all CF barbell exercises like thruster, overhead/back/front squat, clean & jerk ect...

My trainer said the same weights are good but not to sacrifice MMA training...

I’ve noticed that MMA (heavy bag work, sparring and grappling) increases my strength and weight too. For example now i’m not training for an injury i’ve lost 6 kg (probably muscles) when I train I usually gain weight an muscles.


I’ve alredy read faq on strength seems really well done. I was thinking to make 1 or 2 strength session per week and 1 Crossfit workout (for explosive speed). All the other time training MMA.

 

[Mark Cutting]

Thanks for your reply!

I’m not new started kick boxing when I was 16 years old about 10 years ago, then played BJJ an Boxing. Unfortunately I stopped all in 2011. I started last year MMA and Crossfit.

I’ve a very good lifting tequinque when I was younger use to train twice a day with lifting too... crossfit helped too I can do all CF barbell exercises like thruster, overhead/back/front squat, clean & jerk ect...

My trainer said the same weights are good but not to sacrifice MMA training...

I’ve noticed that MMA (heavy bag work, sparring and grappling) increases my strength too. For example now i’m not training for an injury i’ve lost 6 kg (probably muscles) when I train I usually gain weight.


I’ve alredy read faq on strength seems really well done. I was thinking to make 1 or 2 strength session per week and 1 Crossfit workout (for explosive speed). All the other time training MMA.

Crossfit =/= explosive speed. Careful about technique degradation.

Move heavy weights with speed (relative, but you know the idea) I like snatch grip high pulls, ball slams, hip hinge movements (heavy kb swings for lower reps - I do 150 pound kb swings for 10-15 reps) check out T-Nation and look in their combat subforum or search mma

 

[Italianfighter]

Crossfit =/= explosive speed. Careful about technique degradation.

Move heavy weights with speed (relative, but you know the idea) I like snatch grip high pulls, ball slams, hip hinge movements (heavy kb swings for lower reps - I do 150 pound kb swings for 10-15 reps) check out T-Nation and look in their combat subforum or search mma

Why do you think CF may be harmful?

I think that nothing is more stressful for body than MMA

When I do CF I relax myself...

Is T nation a forum?

 

[Mark Cutting]

Why do you think CF may be harmful?

I think that nothing is more stressful for body than MMA

When I do CF I relax myself...

Is T nation a forum?

CF *CAN be harmful. It's far from the most efficient program for strength/power...

T-Nation is a website with many sub forums. Lots of great research and info. Just watch out for their overly hawking of their supplements. Ha

 

[Mark Cutting]

I'm 40 now. Been training/competing in mma, jits, weights (25 years) grappling for 12 years. I've realized that I don't need to go hard all the time and I actually feel and perform better with more limited hard sparring.

 

[Italianfighter]

CF *CAN be harmful. It's far from the most efficient program for strength/power...

T-Nation is a website with many sub forums. Lots of great research and info. Just watch out for their overly hawking of their supplements. Ha

Thanks for info.

Why you think that CF is far from the most efficient program?

As for supplements I always take:

- Vitamin D (now 10.000 IU per day)
- Pro an prebiotics
- ZMA before bed

When I hit hard take also:

- High dosage multivitamin
- Creatine
- Beta alanine
- Citrulline Malate
- HMB

And my food is always the best I can get, only wild fish and grass fed meat, eggs from free chicken, organic vegetables. No cheat meals, no alcohol.

I think more than this there is only doping

 

[DoomPatrol]

Currently I'm playing MMA, in my MMA Gym is possible to train 2 times per day 7 days per week for 2 hours per class.... so could be it enough also without weights.....

In past years I trained with weights (when I did I easily got bigger, I can gain muscles very very very easy) but now I'm not doing any strength training. I'm just doing Crossfit 1 or 2 times per week, in CF classes we do some strength exercise but not so much, mostly metcon.

Can be useful a strength training in the gym with weights? Are bullshit that strength training will decrease power and speed?

In my gym some guys do strength training others not. MMA coach told me that I may train gym with weights (deadlift, squat, pull-ups few reps heavy weight) 2 times per week and quit CF. What do you think?

CrossFit is shit as explained a million times on this forum. It's a terrible waste of time. It's not great for training endurance. It's not great for training strength. It's basically a high risk way to be something better than a couch potato.

You also don't play MMA. That's just a weird way to word that and I don't like it. You train MMA. You compete in MMA. Don't play it.

I'd recommend doing a 2x week strength training program and hit the gym as often as possible.

 

[corpse]

cf is not harmful, but cf is a very taxing and technique focused training for itself.
most serious cf guys train for cf alone.

if you want to support your martial arts, then focus first on that.
if you feel you have energy left, do a little cf or a pure strength training routine as a support for your martial art.

if you don't enjoy pure barbell strength routines, then do cf as just a support.

my advice would be, quit cf, do your ma classes and if you feel that you can do extra work,
pick starting strength for a 2 or 3 times a week routine.

keep it simple. starting strength is perfect for this purpose.

focus on mma and support that with a proven routine.

 

[corpse]

CrossFit is shit as explained a million times on this forum. It's a terrible waste of time. It's not great for training endurance. It's not great for training strength. It's basically a high risk way to be something better than a couch potato.

You also don't play MMA. That's just a weird way to word that and I don't like it. You train MMA. You compete in MMA. Don't play it.

I'd recommend doing a 2x week strength training program and hit the gym as often as possible.

dude, crossfit isn't shit and it's not a waste of time. it's nowadays just a fucking money church on it's own and should not be randomly mixed with other stuff. i know several people (cubicle guys) who totally transformed their bodies and lifes because of this burpee cringe barbell snatch amrap cult. i wouldn't recommend it to everybody but it has it's benefits to some.

 

[Italianfighter]

I find CF funny, but just 1 time per week I woudn't enjoy it as full time sport... there are some things I like particularly like rope climbing (we don’t have any 6 meters high ropes in MMA gym for example) I think is good for core strength all exercises work on core. With CF I learned a lot of barbell exercises that probably are not so popular in standard gyms.

 

[DoomPatrol]

dude, crossfit isn't shit and it's not a waste of time. it's nowadays just a fucking money church on it's own and should not be randomly mixed with other stuff. i know several people (cubicle guys) who totally transformed their bodies and lifes because of this burpee cringe barbell snatch amrap cult. i wouldn't recommend it to everybody but it has it's benefits to some.

CrossFit is shit. It's a bastardization of circuit training and Olympic lifting with zero periodization. Yeah if you run around the gym like crazy doing silly exercises you will be better off than doing nothing at all. It's still shit though. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody I liked. Every single person I know who did CrossFit wound up skinny and weak. If you want to be skinny, weak and have a ton of injuries go with CrossFit!

 

[Italianfighter]

CrossFit is shit. It's a bastardization of circuit training and Olympic lifting with zero periodization. Yeah if you run around the gym like crazy doing silly exercises you will be better off than doing nothing at all. It's still shit though. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody I liked. Every single person I know who did CrossFit wound up skinny and weak. If you want to be skinny, weak and have a ton of injuries go with CrossFit!

I don't defend CF don't need to defend it, I don' have any interest... I was also thinking to quit it..

Anyway Matt Fraser is not skinny and weak like all CF athletes!

People in the CF gym who do it seriously don't train in classes, but they have a personal program made for each single person, they are pretty big, they do a lot of strength stuff.

Can tell for sure, as I previously wrote, that a complete MMA training: grappling, heavy bag, sparring, body weight exercises ect count more than CF both for conditioning and strength. There are some guys in my MMA gym that have a kind of "body builder physique" without doing any weight training! I also gained weight just doing MMA, a CF workout is easier than a real MMA/Boxing/Muaythai class....

 

[Ilk]

What is the problem with training for MMA is arguably that most gyms over train their fighters already with some drills that have S and C training already.

I am doing boxing for fun and I already notice how my coach implements us 2 rounds of conditioning and 3 rounds of heavy bag banging. I want to learn to fight not to condition in your class got damnit. I am already training about 6-9 times per week so I am conditioning. I rather train some technique than do then stupid conditioning rounds.

Then as a fighter you need at least 4 fighting classes per week to practice technique. You need LISS training, you need sprints, you need circuit running that is already at least 4 running session per week.

And if you add 2 Strength sessions its easily burning you out unless you do train technique in your fight classes and you do mainly the big 4 lifts with some chin ups and rows.

My ex coach was a pro MMA fighter. Now he fights only kick boxing. When asked him why he said cause he is too old and lacks the cardio to wrestle.

No dummy you do some stupid conditioning and no running at all this is why you have no cardio.

 

[corpse]

CrossFit is shit. It's a bastardization of circuit training and Olympic lifting with zero periodization. Yeah if you run around the gym like crazy doing silly exercises you will be better off than doing nothing at all. It's still shit though. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody I liked. Every single person I know who did CrossFit wound up skinny and weak. If you want to be skinny, weak and have a ton of injuries go with CrossFit!

well, your opinion is valid. i think the same about some aspects of some gyms but, like i said, i know 3 guys from 2 different crossfit gyms and they absolutely improved their fitness, strength, health and physical appearance. not one of them had any special injuries in the last 3 years. and while they don't program in a classical way, they do planned benchmarks and improve their former results. key exercises they do are deadlifts, overhead press and the typical kipping circus. the gyms are in germany and cf isn't big here like in the states. maybe because of that the coaches are better. i don't know.

i am no fan of the religion and i don't like their nazi mindset of cf is the only single and best way for all creatures at all times bullshit.

either way, have a nice day

 

[tekkenfan]

What is the problem with training for MMA is arguably that most gyms over train their fighters already with some drills that have S and C training already.

I am doing boxing for fun and I already notice how my coach implements us 2 rounds of conditioning and 3 rounds of heavy bag banging. I want to learn to fight not to condition in your class got damnit. I am already training about 6-9 times per week so I am conditioning. I rather train some technique than do then stupid conditioning rounds.

Then as a fighter you need at least 4 fighting classes per week to practice technique. You need LISS training, you need sprints, you need circuit running that is already at least 4 running session per week.

And if you add 2 Strength sessions its easily burning you out unless you do train technique in your fight classes and you do mainly the big 4 lifts with some chin ups and rows.

My ex coach was a pro MMA fighter. Now he fights only kick boxing. When asked him why he said cause he is too old and lacks the cardio to wrestle.

No dummy you do some stupid conditioning and no running at all this is why you have no cardio.

tbh i think u need more than just 4 when i was active fighting i did 5 days a week of jiu jujitsu 4 of boxing as well alot of guys have days with just strength or conditioning i thinks thats crazy and they wonder why they arnt technical