The Five Most Important People In MMA

The Five Most Important People In MMA

By

James Lawrence

 

            Here’s a big discussion that is going to cause a lot of debate and arguments at bars, work, pretty much anywhere there are MMA fans, and of course on the discussion forum on our site http://www.cageandringmagazine.com/.  Who are the five most important people of all time in MMA? I once started this kind of discussion while having dinner with some friends and it almost ended in full-fledged MMA fight in my house. Okay, it wasn’t that extreme, but there was a shoving match between a few of the guys there. You ask anyone who is an MMA fan, even a casual one, and they will all tell you something different. Although I may regret this later, here is my list of the five most important people, individuals or groups, in the history of MMA.

 

Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta

            Without the money from the Station Casinos moguls, the UFC would probably have died out had they not bought it. Face it, the UFC was on its last legs when they came along. They turned the worthless brand into one of the fastest growing sports in the world. With their backing, the Fertitta brothers helped to turn a sport that was once considered “human cockfighting” by John McCain into something legitimate.

 

The Gracies

            They revolutionized MMA in general. And without Helio Gracie and the “Gracie Challenge” and Rorian Gracie, there would be no UFC.

 

Dana White

            Love him or hate him, and with most people there’s no middle ground in that statement, Dana is one of the most important people in the history of MMA. Dana has worked hard to bring legitimacy to the sport. He gives the fans what they want to see and puts great cards together. He saw the potential of the sport and realized how to continuously develop the sport.

 

Bruce Lee

            Yes, Bruce Lee. What would modern fighting be without what he brought to the world? The man did state that one must take what works from different martial arts and throw away the rest. Is that not essentially the foundation of MMA?

 

Ken Shamrock

            Yeah, I know, past his prime and stuff. But Shamrock was the first real household name in MMA and brought MMA to the masses. I first noticed MMA through Shamrock. He created the first MMA camp/gym, debated McCain on live TV about MMA, and was a major pay-per-view draw.

 

            Don’t agree with me? That’s fine. I’ll take all suggestions into consideration. Send me your ideas on this at james@cageandringmagazine.com and if they’re well supported, then I’ll publish them. Or even go on our chat forum on http://www.cageandringmagazine.com/ and start a thread for it.

 

Five Tips To Buy MMA Shorts

Balanced diet and proper exercise are very essential for a healthy body and healthy mind. Without having a healthy body, no one can climb through the ladder of success. You need to do proper exercise to keep yourself fit. There are different types of exercise. You need to know the right procedures of exercise. By doing a regular and proper exercise, you can become strong and healthy. Many people love to work out in gym to reduce extra flab from their body. It is in fact a good way to slash away the fat from the body. But you need to keep in mind certain things before you step into the gym. Selecting the right pair of MMA  shorts is very essential. There are different types of MMA shorts. You may find it difficult to select one from a long list. You need to consider certain things while selecting a pair of MMA short. Quality is an important factor that you need to consider. Budget is an important issue. There are some MMA short buying tips for you.1.    Cool- You need to select a MMA shorts that is stylish and cool in appearance. It can have positive impact on your personality. It is not the number one factor, but you should surely consider it while buying a pair of MMA short.2.    Comfort- Select a MMA short that is comfortable to wear. You should never ever compromise with your comfort. It is in fact one of the most important factors that you need to consider while buying this item. You can try MMA short before purchasing it. If you find it uncomfortable, it is better to try the next one. You will find it easy to work out by wearing comfortable MMA short. 3.    Fit- Buying the MMA shorts that fits well in your body is incredibly necessary. You will definitely find it difficult to exercise by wearing uncomfortable shorts. So, it is very essential to buy the right pair of MMA clothing. You can put on the short before buying it. By doing this, you will be able to know whether the MMA short fits in your body or not.4.    You want to select the right MMA Shorts for the right reason. Garments play an important role in martial arts or any other kind of physical activities. Judo, taekwondo or karate, every martial art has its own type of recommended costume. You need to consider this factor while buying a dress for martial art. Your trainer can also assist you in selecting the exact kind of dress for the right purpose.5.    Quality is an important factor. You need to pay much attention to the quality of the costume that you purchase for your martial art courses. Comfort and durability factors are very crucial. It will have a positive impact on your personality and confidence.

MMA Supplements: Is It Time For Traditional Supplement Companies To Tap Out?

As the sport of MMA continues to explode around the world, so has the industry surrounding this gladiator-like sport.  Rudimentary karate studios have evolved into complex training facilities featuring weights, cages, mats, and bag rooms; now know as MMA gyms.  The training is a mixture of wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing and Muay Thai.  This extreme sport, which requires maximum peak physical conditioning, has also changed the face of modern sports supplementation.  With this in mind, many fighters are searching for the perfect supplementation system to compliment their training routine, and we have decided to take a deeper dive into the characteristics of these new supplements.

We all know BSN, the company that dominates the supplementation market with products like N.O.-Xplode, Syntha-6, and Cellmass among others. They sponsor fan favorite Forrest Griffin from TUF 1, and their logo penetrates every media outlet known to bodybuilding, football, baseball, and MMA.  So, with this in mind, how does a newer MMA only supplement company, like Brawl Nutrition out of Atlanta, stack up against the behemoth that is BSN? Do established supplement companies like BSN, EAS, MuscleTech, Optimum, or VPX truly understand the fight scene, or are they trying to capitalize on this new sport?

To understand the illusive differences between traditional supplementation and MMA products we sat down with Greg Latora, founder of Brawl Nutrition, and the only CEO we know who has publically challenged his competitors to step into the Octagon with him.  Much to my surprise, I found Greg to be an intelligent, clean cut guy who does not fit into the stereotypical mold of the MMA industry, aside from his lean athletic build.

KM: How did you get involved in the sport of MMA?

GL: I started out wrestling high school, which later morphed into years of BJJ and Muay Thai training.  After a knee injury, I gave up the BJJ and strictly train in Muay Thai and lift weights these days.  My many years of experience in these crossover sports have helped me design products for fighters.

KM: Why did you start Brawl Nutrition?

GL: I saw a void in the industry, and the larger nutrition companies did not understand the training routines or the needs of fighters.  For example, I started seeing traditional bodybuilding companies pushing their staple protein and creatine products towards MMA fighters.  I love and use protein and creatine, however, these products alone do little for fighters.  More specifically, ingesting creatine can increase the level of phosphocreatine in the muscles up to 20%, but it must be noted that creatine has no significant effect on aerobic endurance, though it will increase power during short sessions of high-intensity aerobic exercise.  This is great for your muscle building workout, but it does little to impact your performance during a two hour BJJ or Muay Thai training session.  The same can be said for the Nitric Oxide products that are on the market.  N.O. is a great supplement, but shakes, especially the kind that carbonate when shaken, like NO-Xplode, don’t feel great in a fighter’s stomach when they are getting slammed around on the mats.  Moreover, these quick acting formulas are also quick to leave your system, which creates an energy crash for fighters that train for two or more hours, which most fighters do.

KM: I notice that your products contain Nitric Oxide and Creatine, so how does Brawl differ from these traditional companies?

GL: I never set out to reinvent the wheel.  There is no best nitric oxide or best creatine.  I did, however, want to design supplements that would enhance the training level of fighters and only fighter.  To help you understand my approach, picture a football player or a typical bodybuilder.  What comes to mind? A 230lb guy? Maybe a 250lb guy?  Now picture a typical fighter.  Fighters are lean, they weigh less, they burn huge amounts of calories, and they are required to compete with high intensity for long periods of time.  This is why Brawl was designed in pill formula: no carbonation, no powdery liquids in your stomach, slower burn for longer lasting supplementation.  This is the idea behind Brawl, we dosed our supplements for 155-185lb fighters, used pure ingredients for maximum effectiveness, and truly took into account the delivery system of our products, so fighters aren’t choking down rancid tasting powdery drink mixes.  Look at N.O.-Xplode or Shotgun N.O., they both have heavy doses of stimulants within them.  Our research showed that fighters are already amped up enough during their training, and they might not want the edgy feeling that stimulants create.  This is why we separate our energy booster into our Rush product.  Your body can buildup a tolerance to stimulants over time, so we suggest fighters only take products with stimulants when they really need that extra push to get them through a workout.  You don’t have that option with mainstream product unless you want to miss out on your N.O. and other ingredients.  We are also about to release our joint maintenance product, Joint Warrior, which is something we feel is of high importance to fighters.  MMA training can put tremendous stress on joints, and MMA training, unlike most sports, can create angles that joints are not intended to bend.  Our post workout drink, Reload, was designed to replenish the high levels of calories fighters burn while bringing glucose levels back to normal by using organic sugar instead of chemically enhance sweeteners.  This drink mix also helps volumize blood flow to transport necessary nutrient back into the body.

KM: Xyience was the first MMA supplement company, and they filed bankruptcy, does this scare you?

GL: I admire Xyience for the dominance they once had within the UFC; however, they got greedy and overleveraged themselves.  I guess they tried to dig themselves out of debt by enter the highly lucrative energy drink market, which was not their core business.  Xyience’s mistakes are a valuable lesson for any business; however, their early success lets me know that there is a market for MMA supplements.

KM: Any parting words?

GL: Yes, I’d like to thank my sponsors: Brawl Nutrition and Team Brawl.  I’ve always wanted to do that.

I would like to thank Greg for his insight into the contrast between MMA and traditional supplements.  We look forward to more competition within the MMA supplement market, as it will help add variety for fighters to choose from.  Better fighters will assure a spectacular show for audiences.  In a sport that drug tests, supplements are the best option to help fighter get to the tops level: UFC, WEC, or Strikeforce.

MMA Weight Training

I mentioned some weight training in my previous article, titled “MMA Conditioning Training,” but I’m going to go more in depth for this one.  If you’ve ever watched an MMA fight, you’ll probably realize that strength plays a pretty significant part of who will win the fight.  Look at Brock Lesnar, for example.  In just four fights, he’s beaten several top fighters.  That said, weight training is not the end all for mma, but it is an essential part of your routine.  I’ll do in depth as to how weight training can help you and how you can achieve great results.

The benefits of MMA weight training:

Now that you know why you want to do MMA weight training, you probably want to know how to achieve it.  The first thing you’ll want to realize is that MMA is not bodybuilding and having a good looking body does not necessarily mean you’ll be good at MMA; in fact, you want to avoid gaining weight as much as possible.  The purpose of weight training in MMA is to gain more explosive strength and endurance while maintaining the same weight.

In order to maintain your weight and gain strength, you’re going to need to stick to explosive exercises and heavy compound lifts.  Olympics lifts are some of the best for MMA and are really underutilized.  The only downside for them is that you need to learn proper form which can take away from your skill training.  The strength and conditioning that you get from them, however, will help you much more in the long run.  This little bit of knowledge will prove useful throughout your entire career.  Aside from Olympic lifts, you’ll want to focus on plyometrics and bodyweight exercises.  I recommend the push up and pull up, most of all.  These are two of the best exercises in the world.

If you’re serious about MMA, remember that weight training is one of the most important things you can do.  You just need to do it properly and make sure you don’t gain weight (or gain as little as possible) and keep your flexibility.

Kids MMA Clothing coming this Christmas

PRESS RELEASE – (Toronto, Ontario)  October 14th, 2009 – Submit Gear Fight Apparel, Canada’s leading MMA fight apparel company recently announced that they will soon be adding MMA clothing for children to their catalog by this coming Christmas.  The new MMA products (for ages 3-10) will include MMA t shirts, MMA hats and MMA sweaters.  MMA shorts will also be available for kids ages 7 and up.

The popularity of Mixed Martial Arts has grown beyond what anyone had imagined.  It has such a broad fan base, that MMA apparel has become a general commodity that you can buy as a gift for anyone nowadays, says marketing manager Joe Nepa.    Children’s apparel is no different.  As a personal MMA fan, I would love to have my son wear an MMA sweater such as Submit Gear’s.  As long as the designs are tastefulThe Canadian based company has always stayed away from the traditional “bloody skulls and angel wings” types of designs.  Numerous MMA clothing companies have adopted this trendy style of design.  The problem is trends wear off, and t shirts start to look all the same after a while.   Submit Gear, however tends to stay on the simpler, cleaner looking side of things.About Submit GearSubmit Gear is a Toronto-based on-line company specializing in MMA Clothing for the fighter, and fan.   Through our products and sponsorship programs, we are proud to support the best sport in the world, and more importantly, the martial artists who make it all happen.

Sponsorship – Promoting The Passion for MMA Fashion

For UFC 104, the real battle on the marketing side started after the last fight had ended.  That was when event sponsors and suppliers of MMA-related products continued to compete with each other for sales of whatever products and services they have to offer.

Unlike in the past, there’s no longer the need to wait for stores to open in the morning to see what the demand will be.  Because buyers can click online shopping sites 24/7, vendors are able to quickly gauge the success of their promotional efforts   Being forever curious, I decided to find out what the potential benefits event sponsors could anticipate reaping from online sales.

To make sure I wouldn’t be making any ignorant assumptions, I turned on my computer and used my trusty Google sidekick to help me find the answer.  I started by keying in UFC which gave me 26,000,000 results to choose from.

The when I searched for MMA, the number was slightly higher at 28,700,000.

So from that, it became pretty clear that there should be more than enough interest out there for most types of products.  So it seemed pretty clear that the only thing needed to be done by somebody is to carve out a niche market and then offer the right product or service at the right price to supply the demand.  And then, watch he money roll in.

If you’ve ever read any of my other articles, you’ll know that one of my main interests is MMA fashion. I also googled this term today and I had the choice of 7,640,000 results MMA fashion to select from.  To ensure that I would only write an article and not a book, for this piece I’ll only be referring to the first three sites found in the search results for the term MMA fashion and then focus on hats.

The first one, MMAfashion, seems to sell anything and everything related to mixed martial arts and more.  It offers so much that I realized after going through multiple pages, it was like walking through the world’s largest online department store.  If a manufacturer was willing to pay MMAfashion to empty their warehouse, these people would be more than happy to oblige. These folks had a lot of stuff there, too much for me to take the time right now to navigate through.  So I moved on.

RDFC – Dragon Gear was next in the search results.  After opening up the main page and seeing the amount of stuff offered there, I also knew I had to focus on one specific product type.  As I indicated before, I selected my own fashion passion – hats.  As I looked through this site, I noticed navigation buttons to the exact same pages being repeated on the page. Was that their attempt to make it appear they had a larger variety of product available?

Nonetheless, I was able to find hats of varying qualities and designs from eight of the vendors featured there.  And from those, Affliction hats were priced highest at $59.99, followed by Xtreme Couture at $44.99, and all others being somewhere in the range of $24.99 to $27.99.  From the pictures the different pages presented, I could see why the higher priced hats could cost more.  Unfortunately, the detailed descriptions left something to be desired.  Onto the next site.

FighterXFashion came in at number 3 on the list of search results for the keyword term MMA fashion.  I liked this site simply because it’s structured in blog format with specialty-shop appeal.  Sharing information and opinions seemed to be more important to them than moving merchandise.

Although they appeared to have appealing content, I wasn’t 100% convinced that they really were about MMA fashion.  For me,  the only MMA fashion item I find appealing are hats.  So, I continued scrolling down the main page.

Then I finally found what I had been looking for.  When Eric Schafer and his crew walked out through the crowd towards the octagon for UFC 104, they were all wearing hats that really looked good on them.  I wanted one.  But I couldn’t see the brand.  Not Tapout, not Affliction, not anything I recognized.  At the end of his match, Schafer had the hat again but the only thing I could read was the word WAR.  How do I find out where to get one fo me?  And now there it was, right in front of me on my screen, the answer I was looking for.

After reading the introductory blurb posted along with the pictures, I saw these hats came from WARHEAD Wear which was listed as the official MMA lifestyle headwear company.  So I clicked on the link to their site.  I wanted to order my hat.

But then disappointment set in.  After this site’s main page opened, I didn’t see anywhere to place an order.  What gives? So I continued going through the site, and after I clicked on the NEWS link, I got my answer.

UFC 104 was being used to launch the Spring 2010 collection of this product.  And that’s when they’ll become available.  What nerve!  How could they do that?  I was mad enough to take on Brock Lesnar.

Then finally after I had a chance to calm down and thought about what had happened, I realized something.  Those marketing people had gotten the best of me.  They used a strategy to create a need for their product.   Then they told me the product would only be available at a later date.  This increased my need to satisfy that demand.  And finally, they made me wait to order it.  Although it left me with mixed feelings, it worked.

So in conclusion, what did we cover today.

My experience from just trying to find one product, hats, I saw the different marketing strategies being used.  How effective will they turn out to be for each of these sponsors.  well in my case, the answer is simple.  Fighters come in wearing hats and leave the octagon wearing hats.  And that’s what I spend my money on.  So I guess that certainly lends credibility to the saying “You’ve got to use your head to make money!”

Marketing and sponsorship is much like the relationship that existing between stock analysis and stock market metadata.  Both are different but when combined with each other, the results can be amazing.

Abdominal Workout for MMA

Having a strong core is important in MMA because most of your power is generated there.  Since there are several muscle groups in the core, I’m only going to focus on one for this article.  The abdominals are arguably the most important muscle because they stabilize your entire body and while they don’t generate as much power as the other muscles, they’re still incredibly powerful.When you’re working your abs for MMA, you’re going to want to focus on two things: 1. explosive power, and 2. endurance.In order to build up explosive power in your adominals, you’ll want to do several exercises that stress the core through powerful and quick movements.  Some good examples of these are power cleans and deadlifts.  These exercises will put a lot of strain on all of your core muscles, but they’re also fantastic for building up a strong and explosive core base, including the abdominals.  Since it’s hard to isolate the abdominals for this type of exercise, these are the two best that I can suggest.  Some other exercises that you can do are snatches and power straights, both of which are very good.For endurance training, you’ll want to do slower and more deliberate exercises.  These are your traditional abdominal exercises, like sit ups and crunches.  If you want to get sculpted abs, you’ll want to train more endurance.  Some of the best exercises in that regard at the 45 degree incline crunch, which’ll put a ton of stress on your abs and hanging leg raises.  Both of these will require a ton of endurance and strength to do in any significant amount and will promote such in your abs.  While I don’t believe abdominal endurance is too important in MMA, it’s still very important, especially if you’re fighting a wrestler.  Where do you think most of the power of reversals comes from?Remember that functional ab strength doesn’t always correlate with a ripped look.  The best way to get ripped looking abs is to have a low amount of bodyfat.  If you want to reduce the amount of fat on your body, you can eat slightly fewer calories than you burn.  With that in mind, you should be hungry throughout some of the day.

MMA Nutrition Plan

Hello and welcome to the MMA Nutrition Plan information and review page. I know that alot of MMA fighters love training with weights and other methods that build muscle mass and punching power.

MMA Nutrition Plan

Thats just how it is – we love spending time in the gym. Whether we are sparring , lifting weights, jogging and hitting bags or working on techniques.

But – when it comes to proper nutrition techniques and plans, some MMA fighters arent so sure of the proper methods. Some simply dont realize how important the correct nurtrition program really is.

Nutrition could be the one thing that separates an average fighter from other average fighters. By treating your diet in the same way you treat your power training and stamina and even techniques, you will become a complete mma fighter.

And all you need to do, is follow the EXACT SAME Nutrition Plan that is used by Professional MMA Fighters and champions.

WITHOUT Spending $1,000’s- or even $100’s of dollars.

I usually recommend that MMA Fighters use the “Ultimate MMA Training” manual and videos to learn proper techniques -from training to diet and nutrition- and even how to safely cut weight.

Created by Eric Wong , the “Ultimate MMA” guide is actually the exacts same routines that Eric has used for years to create champions and succesful MMA Fighters. Only now, it is actually been completely perfected and made available to the public for the first time.

Not only will you learn how to create the best possible Nutrition Plan, but you will learn the best possible training routines and techniques for all other MMA Workouts:

See how much you will learn? And thats what is all about – you learn to treat your body like a machine, and the results are going to follow.

Its about you becoming THAT MUCH better than your opponents- in EVERY SINGLE ASPECT.

I hope that you see how powerful this MMA Training System really is -you can check it out by following the link below:

Train with professional fighters at lightning MMA

A good and effective MMA gym offers professional training for jujitsu, kickboxing, conditioning and wrestling. These skills are very necessary to become a good MMA fighter. Lightning MMA is a complete organization for becoming a professional fighter.

At Lightning MMA we have a variety of classes to choose from, there’s something for everyone. We have our standard Mixed Martial Arts and Jiu Jitsu classes for those just getting into the sport.

Our classes are small so every individual gets personal attention to improve their game at each class.

We also have a Cardio program for those who want to focus more on getting in shape. These classes are great for anyone looking to get a great workout and have fun at the same time. If you’re tired of running on the treadmill or the boring classes at your local Orange County gym? This is for you.

At Lightning MMA we believe that having high quality instruction is the most important part of a Mixed Martial Arts school. That’s why we make sure that you get to train with professional fighters like James Wilks and Danny Suarez as much as possible. All of our MMA and Jiu Jitsu instructors have fought in professional MMA fights.

Not only that, but we make sure that classes are small so that you can benefit from individual attention from our instructors. Take a class at Lightning MMA and you’ll notice the difference, our instructors are here to help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be.

Our gym has a cage for MMA training and more mat space than most gyms in Orange County. Also included are amenities like: shower, changing room, massage room, lounge area, equipment and nutrition shop, and much more!

A good example of efficient MMA training workouts will include strength training consisting of pulling and pushing motions like squats, lunges, rows, pull ups and chin ups and core exercises like pull ups with knee raises, one of the most difficult exercises to do properly but that will develop a core of steel. Also, planks and side planks and modified versions of these exercises.

Training for an MMA competition demands hours of dedication and practice. It may take years for somebody to learn the several MMA techniques and how to utilize it for fighting. They will start as amateurs and slowly work their way up to becoming pro fighters. They utilize exceptional fight gear that include special training gloves and Everlast MMA gloves. These gloves are designed in such a way to let the fighters to utilize their hands so that they can seize their opponent and perform a submission.

Although we have high class facilities, our primary focus is always to provide the best instruction possible. In order to get the most out of your training and have a good experience we provide everything you need to get the most out of your workouts.

Compared to other Orange County MMA gyms we have the best combination of individual attention from instructors as well as varied training partners to challenge you.

To know more details  please go throuth our website http://www.lightningmma.com

Weight Training for MMA

In my opinion, the fairly abbreviated routines that even well educated, drug free strength trainees follow are excellent, but only if you are that – a strength trainee. This approach to training is not necessarily appropriate for MMA practitioners who have very different training requirements. It must be remembered that most of the strength trainees who write even the best books and articles relating to the subject are writing them for an audience who’s number one priority is lifting i.e. they are lifting weights for the sake of lifting more weight and gaining muscle. For MMAers the strength gains from lifting weights are sought after to aid their performance in a separate sport. We cannot lift with the same frequency and intensity as if we were full time strength trainees who do two or three weights routines a week and are able to rest for the remainder of their time. We still have to hit the mats several times a week in addition to our weight training, not to mention cardio sessions too. A lot of people overlook this fact and fail to adapt their weight training to suit the intensity of their activity for the rest of the week, so easily become over-trained.

MMA Nutrition Supplements

Like many people I started off doing the traditional bodybuilding type exercises with moderate success. Over time I reduced the amount of exercises I was doing each session and devised split routines to hit different muscle groups on different days. I became more power-lifting orientated in my exercise selection too. This approach had some success, but again the sticking point where gains would dry up came all too soon. It was only recently when I started training at a gym used by many full time athletes that I realised I was going about weight training the wrong way. Like MMAers these athletes lifted weights to aid their performance in their sport. As a result they only perform exercises that are of benefit for that purpose and only lift twice a week because they have other training to fit in. Very sensible I thought.

With this new incite in mind I took some fairly radical steps. I decided to drop all accessory exercises and concentrate on power-cleans, deadlift, squat, pull-up and bench press and cut my training to two days a week. At the same time I was lucky enough to obtain a program from an athletics coach that used a mini-cycle where you go from higher to low reps every four weeks, adding whatever weight you can achieve over the period and the following months. The exercises work the whole body and the rep variations from week to week worked better than I ever hoped. The approach helps eliminate the problem so many people have of getting stuck trying to add 2.5kg onto say their 6 rep bench press every week or two for example – I always found those types of jump in weight very hard. Instead the muscles are given variety as the reps and weight changes each week. I really believe this helps stimulate growth much more than slogging away with fixed reps. With the program I use you work down to low reps every 4 weeks. This seems to work well as you build some endurance in with the multiple cleans and 10 rep squats some of the time and can have fun with some singles at the end of the cycle.

My background

Height 6ft5″

Weight 87-90kg (drops if I don’t train)

Years training

I’ve been lifting weights on and off for around 3 and a half years now. I have been regularly including squats and deadlifts in my routine for just over a year and performing the Olympic style lifts for around 6 months. In this time I have trained MA, moving progressively more towards MMA, 2-3 times a week. I do cardio training a couple of times on top of that.

Progress

I’ve always had high metabolism and naturally good cardio, but found it difficult to make strength and weight gains despite my massive appetite and hard work in the gym. This program worked better than I could have hoped. I started using it after a three month lay-off following a shoulder injury I picked up doing judo. For 12 weeks solid I made every lift as planned and increased my lifts in the squat, power-clean and deadlift by 15kg over all the rep ranges in the program and 7.5kg in both bench press variations. Single rep performance went up even more. I also gained up to 5kg in bodyweight, which was nearly all muscle. At some points making the lifts seemed almost too easy, but I resisted the urge to add more weight than planned in order not to max out too soon. After 12 weeks had passed I faced a 5-6 week period of many coursework deadlines followed by my uni finals, so had to cut out the MMA training due to time constraints among other reasons. I continued to gain, but the gym sessions were very tough and my form was beginning to suffer because I was not resting and eating properly. I decided to switch to doing maintenance weights to keep me ticking over for a few weeks when I would again be able to pay more attention to training. Now I’m back training properly again I just cut back a couple of weeks from where I left off and the strength levels are building back up easily.

For someone who is tall and lean, like myself, I feel the exercises I have picked are the most appropriate. Using free weights doesn’t restrict you to the fixed range of movement of machine weights and works far more musculature, which is very useful for the irregular lifting movements involved in MMA. With simply an Olympic barbell, some plates, a bench and a power rack you can perform all the lifts you will ever need to, and in safety. Using abbreviated training means the risk of overtraining is greatly reduced and gains easier to achieve. I eat a pretty healthy diet and lots of it.

Carryover strength benefits for MMA

It is difficult to measure how gym strength carries over into MMA, but I feel the type of strength one can gain through the exercises in this program does cross over well. I lift explosively, trying to power the weight through the upward phase of the lift with my whole body and lower slowly under control. This develops explosive power that you need for shoots and many other aspects of MMA. Power cleans are particular beneficial as they require especially explosive movement and include the whole body. All the exercises develop core stability strength, so crossover to dealing with unbalanced objects, i.e. training partners/opponents in MMA, is less of a problem than if you only lift machine weights or use a smith machine extensively. One final area that benefits is grip strength, as long as you don’t use support gear. My ability to clamp onto an opponents wrist has definitely improved from the lifting.

The program – very simple and only two short sessions a week. Add some pull ups and ab work too if you like. It has worked well for me so far so hope it benefits anyone who tries it.

I consider the first 3 sets as a warm-up that gets progressively harder as you approach the final work set. You don’t need to do any other warm-up sets other than with just the empty bar prior to performing the first set. You may be tempted to just pick the weight you estimate to be right for your warm-up sets and only record your work sets, but I would advise you to follow the program you work out for yourself exactly rather than leaving anything to chance. If you don’t you may tire yourself out more one week than the next and not be able to make the lifts in the work set due to this.

I like to break up my 4 sets of squats with 3 sets of pull-ups as noted in the table below. The simple reason I do this is because there is a pull-up bar built into the power rack I use to squat in. Also combining the exercises together means the workout’s over quicker so this saves time and means I can get home and eat sooner. I just do regular bodyweight pull-ups to near failure, but if you are particularly good at pull-ups you could always add weight.

During the rest of each week during the 12 weeks I was making good gains I was training a couple of sessions of MMA and one of judo. I played football a couple of times a week so didn’t really bother doing any extra cardio. The MMA and judo sessions all involved quite intensive wrestling/randori and plenty of bodyweight exercises, which didn’t cause a problem in relation to the weight training. The additional training I do throughout the week seems to actually aid recovery in comparison to doing nothing at all. This is one of the reasons why I found it difficult to keep gains coming when I cut out my MMA training due to time demands. I also make sure I stretch out well after lifting so I don’t ache too much the next day.

Personally I prefer not to weight train on the same day as I do MMA training as I prefer to be fresh for both activities. The weights program is quite intense, but I’m sure many people could cope with other training before or afterwards if they make sure they fuel up with a good meal or shake between sessions.

Tips for success

Start slowly

Start on low weights so you can build up slowly and let your body adapt, rather than struggling to make the lifts from week to week. If you start off with weights you can hardly lift with good form you’ll have serious problems progressing. There’s no need to train to failure either because if you continue doing this week after week it won’t be soon before you’re failing to make the lifts at all. You can still train very hard without training to failure. If you have difficulty identifying the correct intensity to train at pick a weight where you can make the reps, but would still be able to squeeze 1 or 2 more reps out if forced. Another tip is to watch your form and make sure it is perfect at all times. I think 2-3 minutes between sets is best — not too short so you can’t recover, but not too long that you cool down or have a queue building up in a busy gym. The exception to this is my session of light cleans where I like to take less rest in between to build up my muscular endurance and get me well warmed up for the squats that follow.

Don’t add too much weight

Think about the long term. Sure, you might be able to make good gains with big increases in weight for a few weeks, but you’ll hit sticking point sooner rather than later and be forced to go back weeks in order to build up again. Add a small amount of weight, but aim to train consistently throughout the year. Say the weight you add on your deadlift is 1kg a week for 40 weeks of the year, that’s 40kg extra you can lift in that time. I think most people would be happy with been able to make that much progress in a year.

Set targets

I like to produce a spreadsheet with my anticipated gains over the next few months. This gives you an idea of what you can achieve over the period. It is vital to print/write out to take to the gym rather than having to work everything out or guess the weight each time and risk making mistakes.

Keep a record

Keep a record of when you go to the gym and what lifts you are making. Make an entry in your records every week even if you don’t train. If this is the case state the reason you didn’t train. Compare your record to the gains you anticipated. If your performance falls short keeping a record can help you identify problems and make changes accordingly. The sense of achievement you get from ticking off each lift as the weeks pass and knowing you are making gains makes keeping a record well worth the effort.

Don’t be tempted to add exercises & sets

There’s no need. Remember what I said about the athletes only performing exercises that benefit their sport. If you’re training MMA throughout the week as well as lifting you’re probably performing enough accessory type exercises doing that anyway.

Don’t chop & change routines too often

Pick a routine, plan out your anticipated progress and stick to it for 3 months. You really aren’t going to know if it is working if you only give it a go for a few weeks before changing to something else. If after 3 months has passed you are still progressing well then keep going with the same program — why change? If your progression is slowing down consider reducing the rate at which you increase the weights, for example 2.5kg every 4 weeks rather than 5kg.

You are sure to have people telling you that you are going about your training the wrong way and trying to get you to follow new advice from week to week. It’s great if you look at the advice out there and develop a thirst for knowledge. However, an even more important skill, in my opinion, is to look at everything with a critical eye and be able to politely ignore most of the advice that you’re bound to be bombarded with and just get on with your own training — consistency rules.

Next Page »