How To Build Your Mma Sports Workout Program

Building your MMA Workout Program from the ground up:

This is one of those questions that I am asked a lot so I thought that I would write a little about it.

Here are the 5 Steps in building that I use in my workout for the different sport(s) that I do which is mostly MMA. These are what I tell people to do:

1) Break down the different components of your sport.

  •  What kinds of movements are required?
  •  What kinds of strengths and conditioning are required?
  • What techniques do I perform constantly?
  • Which muscles do I use (even the little ones)?
  • What movements do I use (am I slow and calculated or explosive)?
  • Does your sport require you to hold a piece of equipment? What equipment do I use?

2) Search for Drills and exercises that pertain to the questions above and do them. Learn from people who know!!!!!!

Answer these questions and then do research.

This is the information that Coach Ray and I have researched and used in our programs and our student’s/customer’s programs as FitterFast.com.

It is important to learn from people who know because that is how injuries happen.

For example: when I first learned Olympic Lifting I was living in Kamloops BC. I then moved back to Vernon BC to train where I continued this style of lifting. I used to do it once a week on Fridays so that I would have the weekend to recover. I then went there on Saturday and some guy who had seen me do it the day before was doing power cleans without instruction or asking questions. This guy A) put on too much weight and B) nearly killed himself with poor technique and in between each set was holding his back because he had strained it. I stopped him and told him to not continue and to start out with more basic techniques until he properly learned how to do them. I save him a lot of pain but he was still hurting a week later from his poor performance because he assumed that what he was doing was right without asking the people who know.

I have also seen this with people who don’t know teaching their bad techniques to others who think that they are doing it right. Actually, it is heavily practiced in MMA. Oh, by the way, I realize that there is a difference between not knowing and having different techniques. Those who actually know their techniques will always be able to answer the question “Why do you do that?” Those who can’t always answer the question properly don’t truly know.

3) Cross Train

Just because you are building those muscles that pertain directly to your sport or your MMA style doesn’t mean that you should neglect your other muscles. Those muscles and strengths that you don’t use in your sport still act as supporting muscles and strengths. YOU STILL NEED THEM so train them. Even if you train these only 10-15% of the time it will still benefit you in the future.

For example: I came across this problem with my conditioning. I was in incredible shape and then I started working my core. Apparently, this was my weak point because once my core became stronger my cardio and speed went through the roof (relative to my past conditioning). I wasn’t doing much different but once those muscles were able to support the beating I gave them, suddenly it made my life a lot easier. Out of no where, I could spar harder and faster and for longer.

4) Take rest days (sort of)

Your body takes a big pounding when you are training for sports especially MMA. You need to give it a day to relax and recover. Otherwise, those nagging pains won’t have time to heal and you will be stuck with them for a very long time.

Overtraining is one of the biggest reasons people A) get injured and B) stay injured.

Now, when I say take a rest day it does NOT means sit on the couch all day and do nothing. You still need to get out there and get active. You still need to keep those muscles moving and stretching. What can you do to both get your rest and stay active? Go for a walk or light jog is a big one. This is great especially if you have a family or significant other. It allows that time for you to get out and be active while spending time with them. Trust me, they will appreciate it especially if you have ignored them all week to train.

5) Fix Problems when they come up and don’t make them worse.

I know that it is hard especially after training so hard to get to where you are but if you are injured then take the necessary days off and allow your body to heal.

Written by 

Christine Reay is a veteran journalist from Chicago. She works for ANR Miami as the Head of Editorial Content.