After reading Chad’s article a few weeks ago, I decided to give my thoughts on training fighters for mixed martial arts (MMA).

Anyone training for MMA will soon realize that it isn’t as easy as first intended. The amount of training hours needed to be the best is hard to believe. Don’t just expect to be a good fighter if you have good levels of strength or if you think you can throw a punch. To be a good fighter, you need strength, speed, power, endurance, technique, and concentration. And don’t forget that being able to take a hit helps!

I’ve worked with many fighters who all have a different perspective on how to be the best. I have seen fighters who solely concentrate all their efforts on their skill work, and I’ve seen fighters who train like powerlifters. I’ve also seen fighters who train like marathon runners. All of these people will excel with what they do, but to be the best fighter, you have to blend everything together from skill work to aerobic and anaerobic training.

View a video here:

Here is a weekly routine that one of our fighters uses. He is currently four weeks out from his fight. His warm up consists of foam rolling, mobility work, activation drills, movement drills, and hip mobility. This usually takes about 15–20 minutes and is similar to what Chad does with his athletes.

Monday: Strength/Power/Power endurance

A)1 Zercher squat with chains, 3 x 3

A2) Triple broad jumps, 3 x 3

B1) Bench with chains, 3 x 3

B2) Tire pushes, 3 x 3

C1) Recline rows, x 12

C2) Dumbbell cleans, x 12

D1) Plyometric press-ups, 12 seconds/40 seconds x 8

D2) Split jumps, 12 seconds/40 seconds x 8, 6–8 minutes active

E1) Lying medicine ball passes, 12 seconds/40 seconds x 8

E2) Squat jumps, 12 seconds/40 seconds x 8

He performs this routine twice before his fight. His explosive repetition work will increase while his rest period will decrease. This shifts the emphasis from aerobic energy system training to anaerobic energy system training.

Wednesday: Aerobic Threshold/Circuit Training

A1) Tire flips, x 8

A2) Sled, x 50 meters

A3) Battling ropes, x 30

A4) Sandbag get-ups, x 3 each side

A5) Sledgehammer, x 10/10

A6) Burpee chins, x 10

Each round lasts eight minutes and is repeated four times. He keeps his heart rate around his anaerobic threshold with rest between sets until his heart rate is approximately 120–130 bpm. As he gets closer to the fight, he’ll use this day to focus on more specific training and rounds consisting of five minutes, which simulates what his actual fight will be. The exercises will become more specific and lactate orientated.

Day 3: Aerobic High Intensity Continuous Training

This is a modified version of Joel Jamieson’s method for training fighters. I’ve also used this for triathletes and think it’s a great way to improve the efficiency of the fast twitch fibers. Your heart rate must be around your anaerobic threshold.

A1) High step-ups, x 2 minutes

A2) Heavy tire pushes, x 2 minutes

A3) Forward sled walks, x 2 minutes

A4) Bear crawls, x 1 minute; repeat with 6–8 minutes active rest

This is repeated twice for a total of 28 minutes. As the fighter gets closer to his fight, these intervals are increased for time.

To be the best fighter, you have to plan out your schedule in advance so you know when to push and know when to hold back. I have seen too many fighters push too hard and too often. Sometimes, this isn’t their fault, but if your coach is telling you to push harder and harder in the session, you don’t any other option. Inn my opinion, when you’re planning for a fight, all coaches, including the strength and conditioning coach, need to work together to come up with the best plan of attack. If you’re a fighter and have eight weeks before a fight, would you train hard every week or do you think it would be best to deload after week four?

Training to be a fighter can’t just be one-dimensional.