MMA Conditioning – The Hottest Fitness Training Wokout Today

With the ever increasing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts as a sport and a method of fitness training, many people endorsed strength & conditioning training as another way to fitness. Those days when old school boxing coach tells you, not to lift weights as it can make you bulky and slow now gone. Researchers have proven that strength & conditioning works hand in hand with combat sports performance. Combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing, MMA and various traditional martial fighting styles now incorporates strength and conditioning exercise within their routine.

Definition of Strength & Conditioning

In General, strength & conditioning signifies physical training in assisting a particular activity, primarily a sport but could be an occupation, compared to training for general fitness. Strength & conditioning comprises weight training, other forms of resistance training, speed and agility, lactic threshold conditioning and required aerobic conditioning. Strength & conditioning programming will either establish on GPP (General Physical Preparedness) or SPP (Specific Physical Preparedness).

Bodybuilding vs. Strength & Conditioning

When I was starting out going to the gym, I really thought that Strength and Conditioning Training and Bodybuilding are just the same. Now, I can differentiate the two as bodybuilder has a goal of increasing their muscle size (muscular hypertrophy) and definition (low percentage of body fat) all for the purpose of aesthetics. On the other hand, strength and conditioning focuses on applied GPP and SPP improvement in areas of strength & conditioning.

MMA Conditioning

As I already mentioned before, MMA has become the most popular sport today. This had given way to an increased interest in MMA conditioning. MMA style conditioning involves weight bearing exercises over an extended period of time, matching that of a competitive bout, either individually or as a circuit. This training especially made for an MMA athletes’ need. It uses tools like weights, TRX, bodyweight, prowler sled and implements such as tractor tyres and marine rope.

The main workout for in MMA conditioning would comprise of 5 sets of 5 repetitions, completed with heavy weight and long (2-5 minutes) rest periods. An athlete must complete lead in sets building up to a weight prior to the initial set of 5. This exercise program depends on compound exercises that carry a large amount of relative weight, such as deadlift, squat, bench press, overhead press and pull up (additional weight if required). MMA conditioning implements Olympic lifting.