Since MMA is known for its wide array of cross training it has drawn many people looking for the health benefits while other train to get into competitions with the ultimate goal of fighting in the UFC. Currently it is hard to find a place to train in MMA since it is comprised of various arts and most schools are of a single discipline, but that is changing. In this article we will go over 4 key areas that will help your quest of becoming an MMA fighter or just in better shape. This article assumes you don’t have the all in one MMA training camp accessibility you would if you moved to Vegas. These four elements can be used in any town across the US.
1. Punching and Kicking (Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai)
This work is to quicken you hand and feet work and can be done with a heavy back o if you can train with a partner who can hold either the kicking bags or focus mitts. To train your hand eye coordination one of the best types of training is with the focus mitts using both kicks and punches. The heavy bag is more of a power building movement which give you a lot of knockout power.
2. Strength training (Power Cleans, Snatch, Jerk)
Most of you strength training needs to consist of compound exercises. This means staying away from movements that focus on only one muscle and work on movements that hit numerous muscles to train explosiveness. Unlike body builders that want to isolate the muscle for maximum growth you want to train your muscle to work together and have then fire exactly at the same time. Lifting heavy weights is exactly how you do this. In MMA your core strength is key to power and to strengthen this it is best to stick with Olympic style lifts. The best lifts to increase your quickness and explosiveness are the power cleans, jerk, and the clean. When it comes to training always choose a dumbell over a barbell and a barbell over a machine Although machines have their place when it comes to physical development and exercise it is much better for martial arts training to choose the barbell and even better the dubmell. So on any exercises where you can utilize dumbbells do so. This type of training will pay large benefits in explosiveness since both your left and right side muscles will explode in sync.
3. Ground Training (Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can be difficult to train on your own but you can get BJJ dummies that really help simulate a partner to practice your submissions. To practice this part of your game it is best to join a school or class. Even if you can get to class once a week and train at home the rest of the time can provide a great deal of benefits~If time or traveling is an issue you can even train at home while making it to an MMA workouts at least one day a week to train in the correct techniques. The local highschool is also a great place to look. Many wrestling programs would love having an additional assistant coach and in turn your can get in their and do some learning and give the kids a good workout also.
4. MMA Training
MMA is a game of being well rounded and not specific to one style of martial arts. This can make it tough to train since a lot of schools and trainers don’t have multiple skills yet. With the explosion of the MMA it is more common now to find instructors with skills in several different styles of martial arts. Taekwondo is known for its stand up with high kicks to the head have even started teaching their students some ground movements. So whether you have a school close by that trains in all the different disciplines or you have to go multiple places to get your martial arts training and get better it is well worth it.
