Q & A - What type of strength and conditioning training do you recommend?


----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Donny
Date: Jun 6, 2006 9:33 PM

Okay here is my question of the day...I train jiu-jitsu 5 times a week for an hour and half.... I strike 5 to 6 times a week for an hour and half....what type of strength and conditioning training do you recommend


MMATrainer:
Good question. As much as you train, you have to be careful about overtraining. Especially considering it looks like you train over 16 hours weekly. I wouldn't recommend training more than 20 hours a week though.

Because of this, any type of strength and conditioning program should be quick, effective and efficient, so you could continue to train hard in your chosen sport and not burn yourself out too quickly.

First off, if you are performing a typical bodybuilders bodypart split routine. STOP! You are not training to be a bodybuilder and that type of training will be very counter productive to you goals.

Since the demands of MMA training is far more varied than training for a bodybuilding competition, you want to focus more on movement patterns and sport-specific training that will hit the energy system demands along with increasing your power, agility and flexibility necessary in MMA.

Some of my favorite training methods that I use with my clients, layperson and fighter alike, is Lactic Acid Threshold training, calisthenics, power/plyometric training and various complexes including Olympic and powerlifts. I also use a whole host of implements, including barbells dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, stability balls, sledge hammers, rings, BJJ kimonos, and power sleds, to name a few.

To start with, lets look at the energy demands for a MMA or Grappling competitions. Most bouts last anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, such as Japans Pride Fighting Championships. So one of the first things I would do is to tailor your training with this in mind.

For an example of metabolic conditioning training, read my previous post/article about the Treadmill & Med Ball Ab Circuit. Something like that would be perfect for the above mentioned goal. Just make sure you keep going for a period for time that is comparable to your bout time, from 5 to 10 minutes straight.

A good complex for strength, speed and endurance is Randy Couture's Grappling Circuit, which I will be telling you about soon, so look out for my article about it.

I hope this help get you started on the right track for now. There is so much more to get into that whole volumes could be written on this complex subject. So keep checking back to my blog at http:// MMA-Trainer.blogspot.com/ for more training protocols specific to the world of MMA, grappling and combat sports.