MMA Workout Routines

Posts Tagged ‘advanced workout’

The MMA fight scene has proven to be an ever-evolving competition. Every time the ‘next big thing’ proves that they are the best pound-for-pound fighter in their weight class, someone comes along in short order and proves that no, the sport is still growing, still finding super athletes, and is still developing. Case in point, just look at the youngest UFC light heavyweight champion of the world, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. This 23 year old athlete rocketed up the light heavyweight charts after destroying 6 opponents in a row in just over three months. This new generation of athlete has turned the fight game into a full lifestyle, and they push every aspect, from their skill training, to their conditioning regimen.

Jones’ conditioning has made every single one of his opponents look like they were at retirement age; he keeps up a pace for every round that few opponents can come close to matching. He also uses a dynamic style that compliments his athleticism so that he can keep his opponents guessing with barrages of unconventional strikes, and a strong ground game, as proven by his recent title defense against Quentin ‘Rampage’ Jackson, where he brought down the former champion with a rear naked choke.

Jones’ workout routine is extreme, though it is no secret, he runs through a daily routine that would destroy many other athletes. His daily workout routine looks like this:

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. One-Leg Straight Leg Walking Dumbbell Deadlifts (3 sets for 25 yards each)
8. 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)

He breaks up each set with a mere 30 seconds of breathing time between each. It pushes his body to extremes and forces him to process his workout in explosive sessions that mirrors the explosive intensity he requires for his fights. If Jon ‘Bones’ Jones represents the next generation in the evolution of MMA fighters in his fighting style and workout conditioning, it will be amazing to see what extremes others will have to go through to compete at the higher levels of competition.

If you follow MMA, you already know all about Frank Mir’s trouble rise to the top including a near death motorcycle accident and subsequent loss to Brock Lesnar. After taking some time off to evaluate his training strategy, Mir has put on substantial bulk as a result of a completely re-hauled workout plan.

Some of the basic changes made was to cut out the focus on bodybuilding and light conditioning many fighters choose to work with. In it’s place, Mir has added the principles of strongman strength training to add both strength and size to his arsenal.

The physical results are hard to deny as Mir is now a well defined powerhouse. How all his hard work will play out in the ring, no one yet knows. It is worth mentioning that some of the most successful fighters have followed this same plan.

Basically, strongman training focuses on lifting heavy weight in short reps many times over. Forget about just doing dead lifts and arm curls, the strongman technique will involve turning over tires, pulling cars and sending kegs barreling over your head.

Traditional strongmen aren’t necessarily known for their strength, but with Mir combining endurance building exercises and getting rid of most of his body fat, he will definitely be a formidable force in the ring again.

Cristiane Santos might very well be the most recognizable female star in MMA. The women’s division is on the move, so being champion was no small feat for Santos. As a member of the renowned Chute Boxing Academy in Brazil, Santos participates in a workout regimen that is intense, but yields phenomenal results. Based on the principles of Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, the Chute Academy trains their fighters to be notoriously aggressive and explosive in the ring.

Santos practices the basics of grappling, take-downs and strikes while incorporating them with aggressive strength training. She slams a sledgehammer on a tire in both standing and kneeling positions, turns over a huge tire and pulls her trainer with a bungee cord as she sprints.

Much of her cardiovascular work comes from these explosive and dynamic techniques developed by her experienced trainers both in and out of the gym. Swinging a sledgehammer takes a lot of energy, and alternating from a standing to a sitting position will give your muscles a burn never felt before. Using martial arts as a base, Santos focuses on several fighting styles a day with a focus on building endurance.

Brock Lesnar chooses to vary his exercise regime by breaking it up into multiple intervals consisting of various types of exercise. His workout schedule is intense, most days consisting of two sessions in the morning as well as the evening.

Lesnar combines cardiovascular exercise with grappling and weight training to create a full body workout each and every time he trains. While he does focus on heavy lifting, his reps are in short sets and dispersed throughout his workout.

Brock is a heavyweight, so cardiovascular exercise is necessary to keep his bulk down while spontaneously keeping him flexible and limber. Most his workout sessions are short, but by doing them multiple times a day several times a week, Lesnar is able to combine strength with endurance.

We all known Georges St. Pierre is super strong a complete animal in the cage, but how did he get that way? Most of St. Pierre’s regime focuses on weight and gravity based training. Whether he’s dead lifting, squatting with heavy barbells or climbing a rope, St. Pierre’s exercise regime either uses his own body weight or added weights to maximize his results.

Besides regular sparring matches, Georges does very little focusing on cardiovascular exercise, instead opting for heavy weights. Like many of his competitors, much of his actual regime is kept secret. What we do know is that he sweats it out, grapples and does as much weight training as he can muster to keep in shape.

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 -