MMA Bodyweight Training

Mixed martial arts, or MMA for short, is a multidisciplinary combat sport where competitors use a variety of fighting styles in an attempt to knock out, submit or out-point an opponent. Participation in MMA requires a high degree of all round conditioning, including aerobic and anaerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance and power. Many of the attributes required to be successful in MMA can be improved with bodyweight training.

About Bodyweight Training

You can perform bodyweight almost anywhere as you need little or no gym equipment, which can be very advantageous if you don't have regular access to a gym or prefer to train elsewhere. Bodyweight exercises tend to be natural movements and, according to its proponents, are less hard on your joints. MMA requires you to be able to man-handle your opponent and bodyweight exercises teach you to do this--albeit using your own body.

Bodyweight Training for Muscular Strength

Strength describes your ability to exert maximal force for a short amount of time. To develop strength you need to perform between one to five repetitions with a very challenging resistance. To make a bodyweight exercise demanding enough to develop strength, you will need to select exercises that utilize long levers or biomechanically disadvantageous positions otherwise the exercises may be too easy. Alternatively, you can make bodyweight exercises more difficult by temporarily increasing your bodyweight by wearing a weighted vest, ankle weights or waist weights. Weighted chin ups/pull-ups, dips and handstand push-ups are all examples of bodyweight strength exercises.

Bodyweight Training for Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance is your ability to perform repeated movements without fatiguing for example throwing lots of punches in a round without tiring. Improve your muscular endurance by performing sets of 15 to 20 repetitions and only taking short rests between sets. Exercises, such as push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches and dorsal raises, are all good exercises you can use to improve your muscular endurance.

Bodyweight Training for Power

Power is your ability to generate force very quickly. You use muscular power when throwing a hard punch or kick. To develop muscle power, you need to perform explosive exercises, such as clapping push-ups and squat jumps. Bodyweight power exercises are often referred to as plyometrics which describes a rapid stretching of your muscles which is immediately followed with a powerful contraction. Plyometric exercise puts a high degree of tension through your muscles in a very short space of time and is a demanding way to exercise so a thorough warm-up is essential to minimize your risk of injury.

Bodyweight Training for Fitness

Combining bodyweight exercises into a circuit will develop your aerobic fitness whilst improving your strength, power or endurance--depending on the exercises you select. By moving quickly from one exercise to another, your lungs and heart will have to work hard to take in and transport oxygen to your working muscles. Circuits can be designed so that they develop a variety of fitness components within the same workout. For example, including regular push-ups, handstand push-ups and clapping push-ups in the same workout you would develop endurance, strength and power in your chest and arms muscles.

References

• "Training for Warriors: The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Workout;" Martin Rooney; 2008
• "You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women;" Mark Lauren; 2010