MMA Workout Routines

Randy Couture has a physique that many men would envy as a result of a training routine that is deceptively simple. He’s known for his signature fighting style that mixes martial arts with Greek wrestling, but he attributes much of his success to a religious regime.

Using 50 pounds on a barbell, Couture does a crazy routine that centers targeted muscle groups in quick repetitions. Much of his routine is done in a standing position, but it is combined with squats and lounges for a full body workout. Here is a quick breakdown of what the Couture regime focuses on:

• Biceps/Triceps
• Glutes/Hamstrings
• Lower back/Lower Abs
• Shoulders/Upper back
• Thighs/Calves

MMA Conditioning Workout -

In a nutshell, Chuck “The Ice Man” Liddell’s exercise plan is a menagerie of different strength training exercises in hyper mode. You won’t catch Liddell going for a morning jog unless he’s dragging something really heavy behind him. With the encouragement of a well known professional trainer, Liddell works out out with a group of other athletes in several grueling sessions a day. Medicine balls and rowing machines are a part of his routine, but they involve a twist. Try speed rowing for two minutes straight, then jumping up to immediately wrestle an opponent.

Of course, Liddell and his trainer don’t neglect to do the traditional strength training exercises like squats and push-ups. For example, on day one he will do three sets of 20 squats, three sets of 20 barbell lunges and two sets of 20 seated leg curls. One day two, Lidell will focus completely on the upper body by doing two reps of push-ups till failure, explosive military presses and front pull downs. Each night ends with Liddell fighting into the wee hours of the morning until he goes to bed, wakes up and does it all over again.

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In 2008, a quiet light heavyweight made a huge splash in the UFC coming in as a late addition on the prelim card of UFC 87. He hasn’t looked back since. His only blemish on his near perfect record was a disqualification against Matt Hamill for use of illegal elbows.  Since then he has fought some very tough opponents, although you wouldn’t know that the way he just tosses them around. When he fought the decorated wrestler Ryan Bader, you would have thought Bader didn’t know how to wrestle and he was a Raggedy Andy doll.

The 6-foot-3 former All-American Greco-Roman wrestler’s training program is as unorthodox as his fighting style. Every exercise is meant to push his muscles to max capacity so he can explode during his fights.

Usually starting two months before his fights, Jones begins his strength and cardio training three days a week. His strength and conditioning coach, Kelly Tekin, explains “We went by feel and used a lot of explosive exercises to train his muscle fibers to fire faster,” and, “We also relied on a lot of heavy compound exercises to keep muscle on his frame.”

Below is an example of a typical training day for Jones.

AVERAGE DAY
1. Hang Clean (5 sets of 5 reps)
2. Barbell Push Press (8 sets of 5 reps: 30 sec. rest between sets)
3. Lying Leg Curl (6 sets of 6 reps)
4. Depth Dumbbell Snatch (4 sets of 4 reps)
5. Ring Twists (3 sets of 4 reps to each side)
6. Clean from Knees w/Jump (3 sets of 10 reps)
7. Medicine ball superset (run the cycle three times for a total of three supersets)
•    Medicine Ball Power Up (5 reps)
•    Medicine Ball Sprawl and Jump (8 reps)
•    Medicine Ball Plyo Push Up (8 reps)
8. One-Leg Straight Leg Walking Dumbbell Deadlifts (3 sets for 25 yards each)

Jones’ cardio is worked with high-tech equipment that tests his muscles in ways reserved for fights. For example, Tekin would place a tackling dummy on top of a non-motorized treadmill (called the Tred Sled), then hook Jones into a special vest with resistance cords attached to it. “I would push the dummy as hard as possible, as if I was doing a takedown, for 5-10 seconds,” says Jones. “Because I was being pulled backward by the cords, it’s a strenuous exercise that really builds up your explosive strength.”

Another unique tool Tekin uses is the VertiMax—a platform with resistance cords attached to it that strap onto Jones’ hands, waist, knees and ankles. Jones’ coach then hooks him up, then he does knee strikes, kicks and punches for 30-60 seconds at a time, switching stances (from traditional to southpaw) in between rounds. “The extra resistance made it difficult just to keep my hands up, let alone throw a punch,” says Jones, “After being tied into that thing, once I went to knee a guy without being strapped into the machine, it made my strikes that much more powerful in the Octagon.”

The one thing with Jon Jones is that he’s always been training, partly from being an All-American wrestler but also having to keep up with his two older brothers that are pro football players.

If you have the dedication to follow a plan like this, you have a chance of not only increasing your fighting strength, but your overall fitness will greatly benefit from this.

Rashad Evans uses just about every fighting style allowed in MMA to take down his opponents. He already had a considerable background in fighting before entering the UFC, but he changed up his workout style in order to maximize his ring prowess.

When training for a bout, extensive workout sessions are spent perfecting his technique, getting stronger and quicker and examining potential weaknesses. Rashad Evans isn’t the time of fighter who comes into the ring looking for a knockout in the first round. Instead, he prefers to duke it out and really punish all those who challenge him.

Spending about as much time to train in the ring as we do working each day, he focuses on sparring, endurance building and strength training. Twice a week, Evans focus completely on strength training. On the remaining days he focuses on disciplines such as boxing, wrestling and takedowns.

After working out for several hours, Evans ends the day with supplementary conditioning and punching exercises. Like all serious fighters, Rashad eats a healthy, basic diet everyday.

Combined with a day off here and there, Evans gives his body the perfect balance of clean fuel and rigorous training necessary to be the best.

Machida’s workout plan is surprisingly simple. As a well known fighter, most would assume his regimen would have a lot of fancy bells and whistles, but with a lifelong background in karate, Machida mostly does what he knows best.

While he trains anywhere from four to six hours a day, he also breaks up each training session into approximately two hour blocks.

Starting with karate, Machida trains with fellow MMA fighter and brother Chinzo for a few hours in the morning as he has been doing most of his life. He attributes much of his success to working closely with his family in preparation for fights, both in the gym as well as psychologically.

His second workout session of the day consists of a lot of hitting mitts, sparring and take-downs, but it is also notable that that all of his workouts are based in some form of karate. Lyoto will usually follow up with some strength training exercises, similar to a combination of soccer drills and Jiu-Jitsu.

Multiple intense workouts spaced throughout the day allow for a full body workout that is as much cardiovascular as it is conditioning.

Much of Machida’s training looks and feels exactly how he moves in the ring; constantly moving while using tactical blocks, hits and evasive maneuvers.