Why MMA Athletes Should Stop Bodybuilding

“…we have not spent the last 65 million or so years finely honing our physiology to watch Oprah. Like it or not, we are the product of a very long process of adaptation to a harsh physical existence, and the past couple centuries of comparative ease and plenty are not enough time to change our genome. We humans are at our best when our existence mirrors, or at least simulates, the one we are still genetically adapted to live. And that is the purpose of exercise.”

Mark Rippetoe

In my last article I discussed how Olympic lifting could be used as a useful form of resistance training for MMA Athletes. I spoke about how, when used correctly, it can produce tremendously powerful athletes and is therefore a very valuable training technique. In this article I will be discussing the prevalence of body building routines utilised in MMA, why you shouldn’t be training this way and how your strength and conditioning programme can be adapted to improve performance.

What is a body building routine?

The practice of body building is to improve aesthetic appearance – its primary goal is to make you look better. The routines used by body builders are typically characterised by both isolation exercises and spilt body part training days. There is also little distinction between the use of machine based exercises and free weights. Whilst there is some strength and power lifting work it is generally used for the primary goal of increasing muscle size.

As an MMA Athlete this should not be your focus. Your focus should be on increasing your athletic performance – strength, speed, power, agility and skill.

Why are so many of us following body building routines?

Chances are that most of us, at some point, have been following a body building routine. But if these routines aren’t designed to improve athletic performance then how has this happened?

Back in the seventies, when body building started to become really popular, the distinction between athletic performance and looking good became blurred (in the western world at least). The mainstream health and fitness industry adopted the practices of the body building world. Machines began to fill our gymnasiums and coaching slowly started to die out. If you’ve ever had a gym ‘induction’ where the instructor shows you how to turn on various pieces of equipment you’ll know what I mean.

Today most modern gymnasiums are littered with various bits of fairly useless machinery and generally zero coaching staff and this idea of idiot proof exercise is all too common. There has been a rise in popularity of so called ‘functional fitness’ in the last decade. Whilst this has helped to move people away from body building routines it should be noted that it’s not ideal. Many of these ‘functional fitness’ routines are no different from your average body building routine – except you’ll be doing it while balancing on a stability ball.

The programming in mainstream fitness is also typically designed to improve aesthetic appearance and not performance.

If you’ve read one of the fitness magazines recently you’ll appreciate that practically every article is about how you can look better without your shirt on. While this is a nice bonus you’ll look, and feel better, having your hand raised at the end of a fight.

What is an isolation exercise?

An isolation exercise is typically one that uses a single joint or an exercise in a reduced range-of-motion (ROM). Some examples would be bicep curls, tricep extensions or leg extensions. My opinion is that these types of exercises have no firm place in an athletic conditioning programme. Why? They bear little to no relation to basic human movement and regular practice creates neuro-muscular pathways that don’t support athletic improvement. There is an argument to support their inclusion for joint rehab but they should not form the backbone of the programme.

How can I improve?

It’s not entirely necessary to choose exercises that exactly resemble the movements that you will perform in training and competition but they must have relevance. Choose compound exercises that utilise multiple body parts through a full range-of-motion. For example,

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Presses
• Cleans
• Snatches
• Pull Ups
• TGU’s
• Windmills
• Lunges
• Knees to elbows

These types of exercises, done in a variety of combinations and over a range of work outputs will improve athletic performance.

What is a split body part training day?

This refers to the practice of dividing your body into sections e.g. chest and triceps, back and biceps etc. For the athlete this makes no sense – your sport doesn’t require you to do that so why condition yourself for it. Try wrestling using only your back and biceps – not gonna happen.

How can I improve?

You should either base your programming on the basic movement patterns of the human body or a required training outcome e.g. power or agility.

The basic human movements are generally recognised as the following:

• Squat
• Lunge
• Push
• Pull
• Bend
• Twist

Most useful exercises and indeed MMA specific movements will fit into one or more of these patterns. Correct attention to increasing competence in all of them will therefore lead to improved athletic performance. You could do a lot worse than to ensure that you include a movement from each pattern in your strength and conditioning sessions.

What’s wrong with machine exercises?

Again, in keeping with our attention to matching our programme to our sport you should avoid using the majority of fixed resistance machines e.g. chest press, leg press, leg extension. Putting your body in the confines of a machine and applying force against a lever/pulley system is just not very functional. Working with external loads and your own bodyweight is a far more effective approach. Some work with uneven/odd objects/partners is also useful as it has a more direct relation to the demands of the sport.

How can I improve?

Remove machine based exercises from your programme. Replace them with free weights/external loads and bodyweight modalities like these:

• Olympic Bars
• Kettlebells
• Sandbags
• Dumbbells
• Gymnastic Rings
• Medicine Balls
• Tornado Balls
• Bands
• Kegs
• Pull Up Rigs
• Partner Drills/Lifts

If you have any specific questions on Olympic lifting, Strength & Conditioning for MMA or you’d like to discuss workshops, professional fighter coaching or a review of your current programme feel free to get in touch.

Originally published on BritMMA

The Seven Basic Human Movement Patterns

In this article I’ll be discussing the concept of Planes of Motion and human movement patterns. We’ll look at how this theory can be used to make you a better athlete and fix weak points in your physical game. As always, take the time to try out some of the suggestions and draw your own conclusions.

“Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers”

                                                                                                        Anthony Robbins

How are Strength and Conditioning programmes constructed?

In my experience MMA strength and conditioning programmes are normally constructed in one of the following ways:

• By following the training programme of another athlete or one recommended by a coach
• By performing exercises ‘known’ to produce results
• Choosing exercises that are similar to movements in MMA
• Guesswork

These can all be very successful ways to formulate a programme but I believe that the most effective programmes are built around the individual. The purpose of this article is to introduce you to some different ways in which you may develop or adapt your own strength and conditioning programme.

Movement Planes and MMA

In Biomechanics we talk about movement planes (direction of movement) and how they relate to sport/human movement. Exercise, skills and daily tasks can all be categorised into one of three movement planes or a combination thereof. Why is this important? Well, if your strength and conditioning programme consists of movements through one plane and competition requires that you move in another plane then we can assume it may cause some problems due to lack of conditioning/function.

The movement planes are classed as Sagittal, Horizontal/Transverse and Frontal. The planes of motion are best thought of as an invisible wall that you would pass through during a certain movement (some people imagine a sheet of glass).

Including movements through all three planes is important as most athletic movements occur this way. Take a look at your current training programme – does it have movements/exercises that occur through multiple planes of motion (multi-planar)?

The Seven Basic Human Movements

Now that we are aware of the planes of motion we can also consider the concept of the seven basic human movements. It has been proposed that natural and functional human movement can be categorised into basic patterns. What are they?

• Squat
• Lunge
• Push
• Pull
• Bend
• Twist
• Gait (walking)

You may have even followed programmes that touched on this concept – the push/pull routine in weight training is probably the most common example. The theory states that even complex movements can be categorised this way. So, if a person were competent in all seven movement patterns would they ultimately be a better athlete? It is certainly an interesting theory.

At low levels we could examine individual patterns for improvement but it is important to realise that nearly all athletic ability would require competence in multiple movement patterns. Indeed, it is a useful way to examine the complexity of an individual exercise or skill. If you’ve ever tried to master some of the Olympic lifts you’ll appreciate the following example:

Clean and Jerk (split) = Bend, Pull, Squat, Push, Lunge.

So, this theory also states that athletic ability can be improved by not only being competent at the individual movements but at combinations of them.

Weak Point Analysis and Correction

Following the concept of human movement patterns you can begin to analyse your strength and conditioning programme:

• Do I regularly perform movements from each of the patterns?
• Are there techniques/skills that I struggle to learn/perform? Can these be attributed to a movement pattern weakness?
• Does my existing programme overly favour a particular movement pattern? How useful is this movement pattern in relation to the demands of MMA?

My advice would be to look at your existing strength and conditioning programme and ask yourself the questions above. Consider your own strength and weaknesses and use movement pattern analysis as a framework to make some changes if necessary. But remember, the analysis should always be based on you and your current goals.

If you have any specific questions on Olympic lifting, Strength & Conditioning for MMA or you’d like to discuss workshops, professional fighter coaching or a review of your current programme feel free to get in touch.

Originally published on BritMMA

Olympic Lifting for Mixed Martial Artists

“The latest catchphrase in the fitness world is ‘functional training’. The term itself has been around for roughly five decades, but modern self-proclaimed ‘gurus’ have skewed it to their liking such that it now includes excessive use of unstable surfaces, wobble-blade thingamagiggies, stuffed animals, clown costumes and the occasional fluorescent dildo.”– Eric Cressey, Competitive Powerlifter

In the world of strength and conditioning for MMA there is much debate as to the value of lifting. Consequently we’ve been force fed a diet of functional fad exercises for the past decade or so. We’ve been told for years that weight training will slow us down and that muscle bound athletes ‘gas’ quickly. Whilst this is undoubtedly true of some programmes, this article will discuss the necessity of Olympic lifting for the MMA athlete and how you can integrate it into your strength and conditioning routine.

It’s worth noting that Olympic lifting can take a lifetime to master. Although I’m not trying to turn you into a lifter you need to learn the lifts correctly to avoid injury. Build some proficiency with the information listed here and get some coaching.

What is Olympic lifting?

The Olympic lifts are the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk. These two lifts, done properly, will build massive amounts of explosive power. There are also a number of other supplementary exercises that, whilst they are not strictly Olympic lifts, will assist with the main lifts. This is typically where most people lose interest. “Two lifts, is that it?” is a common response. As an MMA athlete you don’t need to become a master lifter but focusing on fundamentals is vitally important. MMA is burdened by a whole host of ‘new and functional’ exercises that really have little to no value. Integrating the Olympic lifts is a simple way to build your fundamental power and strength base. And like technical skills training, ‘fundamentals create champions’.

What makes the Olympic lifts so good?

• Both lifts are explosive in nature and work joints through a full range-of-motion (ROM).
• They are ‘big bang’ exercises – that is, they accomplish lots of things in a short space of time. This is a good thing in terms of strength and conditioning.
• They are highly technical. I know lots of coaches who see this as a negative point and argue that MMA athletes shouldn’t spend too much time learning weight lifting techniques. Whilst I agree when it comes to some lifts, the Olympic lifts have such an important transfer into athletic ability I think it is a worthwhile process. They will make you a better athlete when performed correctly so take the time to learn them.

How do I integrate them into my strength and conditioning programme?

If you have never done Olympic lifting before I’d generally recommend building a strength base with squats, deadlifts and presses first. Once you have a reasonable level of strength you can look into the preparatory exercises. These preparatory exercises will both prepare you for, and allow you to fix, certain parts of the Olympic lifts. You can also adapt the lifts into their power and hang variants. Power denotes that you will not be receiving the weight in a full squat. Hang involves pulling the weight from mid thigh instead of the ground.

This article will reference some external video resources from exrx.net which has some pretty good resources for the beginner.

Remember, in all variations of the Olympic lifts you are trying to generate maximum power. Forget this point and you can forget any appreciable results. Don’t be one of those guys who say they do Olympic lifting when they really just lift weights.

STRENGTH + SPEED = POWER

Before lifting take some time to warm up, stretch and go through some lifts with a broom handle or Olympic bar. Focus on technique and full range-of-motion (ROM).

The Snatch

Before learning the Snatch I’d recommend some preparatory work with the Overhead Squat and the Quick Drop. Once you have built some proficiency with this you can then start practicing the Snatch.

Overhead Squats:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/OverheadSquat.html

Quick Drop:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/QuickDrop.html

Snatch:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/Snatch.html

The Clean & Jerk

Before moving onto the Clean & Jerk I’d recommend some preparatory work with Front Squats and Split Jerks. Once you have built some proficiency with these you can then start practicing the Clean & Jerk.

Front Squats:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/FrontSquat.html

Split Jerks:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/SplitJerk.html

Clean & Jerk:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/CleanAndJerk.html

Sample Programme

Try the following programme if you are looking to introduce Olympic lifting into your current strength and conditioning routine. This will need to be integrated with any existing base strength work. Aim to take to complete these sessions on non-consecutive days. Please note that this is a beginner’s programme and is not periodised in any way. All numerical information is given as guidance only and specific programming should be sought dependant on your individual needs.

Week 1:

Session 1

Overhead Squats 3x5 (25-50% bodyweight, 120 seconds rest between sets)

Quick Drop 5x5 (technique)

Deadlift 5x5 (150-200% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Session 2

Front Squats 3x5 (75-150% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Overhead Press 5x5 (50-100% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Week 2:

Session 1

Overhead Squats 5x5 (25-50% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Quick Drop 5x5 (technique)

Deadlift 5x5 (150-200% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Session 2

Front Squats 5x5 (75-150% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Split Jerk 3x5 (25-75% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Week 3:

Session 1

Overhead Squats 10x1 (25-75% bodyweight, 120 seconds rest between sets)

Deadlift 5x5 (150-200% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Snatch practice 10x1 (25-50% bodyweight, 120 seconds rest between sets)

Session 2

Front squats 3x5 (75-150% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Clean 3x5 (50-100% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Split Jerk 10x1 (50-100% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Week 4:

Session 1

Snatch 10x1 (25-50% bodyweight, 120 seconds rest between sets)

Overhead Squats 10x1 (25-75% bodyweight, 120 seconds rest between sets)

Session 2

Clean & Jerk 3x5 (50-100% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

Deadlift 5x5 (150-200% bodyweight, 120-240 seconds rest between sets)

If you have any specific questions on Olympic lifting, Strength & Conditioning for MMA or you’d like to discuss workshops, professional fighter coaching or a review of your current programme feel free to get in touch.

Originally published on BritMMA

How To Create An Effective Strength and Conditioning Programme

In the spirit of creating effective, practical and fun strength and conditioning routines I’d like to discuss some of the major pitfalls that most people encounter when trying to develop their own programme. I’ll be using examples relating to strength and conditioning but these principles could also be applied to skill development.  

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Abraham Lincoln

Follow the three steps described below and give your strength and conditioning programme a complete overhaul.

Step 1 – Goal Setting

The topic of goal setting often causes people to roll their eyes and is rarely given the respect it deserves. It suffers from ‘law familiarity’ – that is, because we’ve all heard it a million times it no longer becomes important to us. But, a set of clearly defined goals that are regularly re-evaluated is vital to long term success.

The first stage in goal settling is the analysis of your current needs. This should be a broad approach and focus on your current ability as an MMA athlete. This doesn’t need to be an overly technical exercise – just ask yourself where do you feel you need to improve, what skills do you struggle with and what are the limiting factors in your performance?

When you have a broad idea of your current physical strengths and weaknesses we can start to set time specific, measurable goals in both the short and long term. Goals should have two defined parts – why and how. These goals should be specific and detailed.

The following example is of an MMA athlete trying to improve their takedown power:

Why: I currently struggle to takedown my opponents as I don’t have the strength or speed to do it effectively. I am working hard with my skills coaches to improve this but think an increase in my physical ability will also help. This will ultimately help me to become a better fighter.

How: I can see parallels between the Olympic clean and the takedown. As I fight at 84kg this is my immediate goal for a 1RM. I want the takedown to be easy so ideally want to able to lift more than that in training – perhaps 100kg 1RM. Plus, I’ll potentially be doing this movement numerous times during competition so I’d like to get some higher reps done with 84kg.

Short term goal: 84 kg 1RM.

Long term goal: 100kg 1RM. Multiple 84kg lifts with minimal rest periods.

This is a simplified example of what is expected but it achieves the target of setting measurable and defined goals. You should set new goals regularly and assess where you are in relation to your existing goals. If your current approach isn’t working, then try something new – the goal shouldn’t change, but your approach may.

Alternatively, you can apply the goal setting framework to your existing strength and conditioning programme. Look at each element and decide what the expected result of it will be. This will help to remove unnecessary work from your programme and make it more goal specific – and the serious MMA athlete should only have goal specific work in their programme.

Once you have set some goals it’s time to apply a framework that will allow you to measure your success in achieving those goals.

Step 2 – Apply Performance Indicators

Strength and conditioning, when you strip away the science, is very simple.

Over time, can you perform better for a given task using the same variables.

The variables used (e.g. weight, speed, range-of-motion, distance, time) affect the outcome but the basis of strength and conditioning is always to improve performance.

For the purposes of our programming we need to ensure that we apply strict performance indicators to our sessions. A performance indicator is really just a measure of your performance in any given skill or exercise. This is important because without it, you won’t be able to tell if you’re improving. Many of you already measure weight lifted and will keep track of it over time – this is a performance indicator. For some though, this becomes their only indicator.

In addition, the following performance indicators are very useful in measuring the ongoing success of a strength and conditioning programme:

• Speed. How fast did the Olympic bar move? How quickly did you complete that 40 yard sprint?

• Range-of-Motion. Can you complete a full range Overhead Squat? What is the degree of extension in your hip or shoulder in a given movement?

• Distance. How far was that standing long jump? How far can you throw that medicine ball?

• Time. How long did it take your Heart Rate to drop 30 beats after that 4 minute Tabata Squat protocol? How long did it take you to complete 30 Clean and Jerks with 75% bodyweight?

They are just examples but I’d like you to take a look at your current strength and conditioning programme and, if you haven’t already, apply some performance indicators to it. Keep a record of these and aim to improve over time. The more data you have, and your attention to it, will keep you moving towards your target goals.

Step 3 – Stick to it

For your programme to be effective you have to stick at it. After following it for awhile, assess its value and make changes as you see fit. This is basic physiological adaptation. Whatever results your programme may give you, you have to give it some time.

Gyms across the country are full of ‘serial switchers’ – these people are a real pet hate of mine. The switcher is the person that will read a fitness magazine or something on the internet and then follow it for 2 weeks or so. Then they get bored and go looking for something new. The bottom line is that, in strength and conditioning, you have to practice the fundamentals. You can change the structure of your workout everyday but there must be reasoning behind this – don’t just do it because you’re bored.

In my experience bored people just aren’t particularly good at anything so they move on rather than focusing on improving. If you find yourself in the ‘bored’ category then you need to re-assess your goals (go to Step 1).

Step 4 – Never stop this process

This is probably where most people fail. In order to continue improving you have to continually repeat the goal setting process, the application and adjustment of performance indicators and physically complete the work for a period of time. For the serious athlete this is an ongoing process rather than a one off exercise.

As a basic guide aim to:

• Micro assess each strength and conditioning session you perform – Was it effective? Is it moving you closer to your goal?

• Monitor progress every 1-4 weeks – Are you improving performance during your strength and conditioning sessions? More importantly, is your MMA improving?

• Aim to have a set of short and long term goals – I have 3, 6 and 12 month goals but also 5, 10 and 20 year goals.

Your specific planning will of course vary but be bold with your ambitions and aim high.

Originally published on BritMMA

Fixing Strength and Conditioning Weak Points - Is There Any Point?

“One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity”

Bruce Lee

In strength and conditioning there exists the conventional wisdom that an athlete should have well-rounded fitness. Most coaches would normally take an athlete through a series of tests; look at the demands of the sport and then work to fix the weak points in that athlete’s physical game. But is this the most effective strategy and is it even necessary at all?

In this article I’ll be examining whether you can maximise your training by avoiding your weak points rather than trying to fix them.

The demands of MMA

In strength and conditioning terms, the demands of MMA are variable. We have many different styles and multiple ways to succeed in competition. This makes it difficult to apply a rigid structure to the strength and conditioning framework required for athletes. The bottom line is that strength athletes, power athletes and endurance athletes can all be highly successful. So, if I’m a power athlete and I win all of my competitions in the first round – should I spend time focusing on my endurance? And if I do this, will my power suffer? To answer this we must first examine whether this is a weak point.

What is a weak point?

Traditionally a weak point would be highlighted as a peer-tested variable. As an example, if you are not as strong as another athlete in your weight class (or you are below the average strength for your weight class) then this is a weak point. Most individuals train this way, trying to attain an ‘acceptable’ competence level in various different facets of strength and conditioning. But the million dollar question is - does this make you a better fighter?

My criteria for classifying weak points are very simple:

• Does the variable involved (e.g. strength/shoulder flexibility/anaerobic endurance) affect your ability to succeed in competition?
• Does the variable involved affect your longevity as an athlete?

I would argue that there is another, more effective way to view your level of strength and conditioning. I believe that everyone has an inherent fitness level. We are all good at certain ‘physical skills’, and the lucky individuals are good at lots of these. Some people can lift and throw heavy objects, others can move very quickly. Rather than cross-train and always try to develop weaker areas of strength and conditioning that don’t affect your ability to succeed why not just devote your energy into developing your strengths.

So, the question remains – does training to improve your weaker areas really help?

Horses for Courses

I’d like to continue by suggesting that most people are attracted to sports that they will naturally succeed at. We can also look at martial arts and fighting styles in this way. The strength and conditioning demands of striking and grappling are very different. If I asked you now – rate your of fitness out of ten (ten being excellent) for the following elements:

• Strength
• Speed
• Power
• Agility
• Endurance
• Flexibility

If you have been training for any length of time you’ll be able to answer this fairly easily. My suggestion is that you already fight/train in a way that supports/or is supported by these physical strengths and weaknesses. If you took a serious look at your training history you will probably find that you’ve spent countless hours in the gym working towards goals that don’t support you.

Applying this to your strength and conditioning

Take a look at your current training programme and examine the current weak points in your physical game. Next, think about whether they really are weak points – as defined in the above criteria. If you have training practices in your programme that don’t support your road to success then take them out. Try this for 4-6 weeks and devote the extra time and energy to working on your strengths.


If you have any specific questions on Olympic lifting, Strength & Conditioning for MMA or you’d like to discuss workshops, professional fighter coaching or a review of your current programme feel free to get in touch.

Originally published on BritMMA