Lifting Routine for an mma fighter?

[dudeman1056]

im 18, and fight mma just wanted to see if anyone had any good lifting routines for this kind of sport?

[fitnhealthydad]

What are your goals in the cage? What is your current weight and what class do you want to be in? What is your base (kickfighter? boxer? grappler?)? There's no such thing as a set routine for MMA as everything is dependant upon what you are looking to accomplish with your body. If you're not looking to be a powerlifter or bodybuilder, then a huge chunk of your training is going to be cardio and core-strengthening exercises.

I was an MMA fighter for 15 years and have recently gotten back into the game. I was never a dedicated lifter because I was successful in my weight class with the cardio, bodyweight and dynamic exercises I always did so I'm only now learning all about hardcore lifting. My goals have changed since my younger days and I now want to bulk up and move into the heavyweight division.

Anyways, give us some more detail on the questions above so we can have some direction to point you in....

[dudeman1056]

well right now im in the welterweight division. I came from a boxing base but have turned into an all around kind of fighter. Im not looking to get big just to gain strength.

[slashkills]

Here is an article i found
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/po...o_fighting.htm

Im not sure what kind of experience you have so this may or may not help you.

[Meat_Head]

Whatever routine you find, make sure it has at least one olympic lift in it somewhere, even if its just hang cleans or high pulls or jerks. Striking is about coordinating power through your body, and oly lifts address this supremely.

Also make sure the routine has you doing quite a bit of overhead pressing, your shoulder girdle should be a strong point of emphasis. In MMA I would say that overhead pressing (standing overhead pressing) is far more important to your performance than bench pressing, and I can easily defend that statement if any care to disagree.

Squats or deadlifts, of course, should be your most important point of emphasis, as the power of all of your strikes will start from your legs and core. I assume you already have your endurance/cardio plan in order, so I won't attempt to say anything about that except that it is also of utmost importance, especially in your weight class.

[fitnhealthydad]

Also make sure the routine has you doing quite a bit of overhead pressing, your shoulder girdle should be a strong point of emphasis. In MMA I would say that overhead pressing (standing overhead pressing) is far more important to your performance than bench pressing, and I can easily defend that statement if any care to disagree.

No disagreement. Welterweight fighters are going to focus a lot more on speed and strikes but shoulder strength becomes key in a clinch. This is true for blocks and counters, as well. I will say, however, that in this weight class, it's important to train your entire body for explosiveness.

Add shadow-boxing with 12-ounce gloves to your routine. Do 4 or 5 3-minute rounds of combinations. Jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts, rear-hand jabs, etc. You WILL work your shoulders with this as the goal is to keep your hands up in proper fighting position for the entire round.

Squats or deadlifts, of course, should be your most important point of emphasis, as the power of all of your strikes will start from your legs and core.

'Nuff said.

[Socialgym]

There was one workout I saw one MMA fighter used, which was a dumb bell bicep circuit workout that was a pyramid structure. this helped with "explosive strength."

50 pound dumbbells 1 Set of 5 Reps
45 pound dumbbells 2 sets of 3 reps
40 pound dumbbells 2 sets of 4 reps
35 Pound dumbbells ... and so forth down the pattern.

[Raleighwood]

There was one workout I saw one MMA fighter used, which was a dumb bell bicep circuit workout that was a pyramid structure. this helped with "explosive strength."

50 pound dumbbells 1 Set of 5 Reps
45 pound dumbbells 2 sets of 3 reps
40 pound dumbbells 2 sets of 4 reps
35 Pound dumbbells ... and so forth down the pattern.

Bicep isolation for explosive strength? Sounds ******ed to me.

Muscles performance is improved directly by the way it is trained.

To improve general body explosiveness you need to do exercises that activate the core and the other large muscles of the body (ie posterior chain, glutes, hams, quads). Furthermore, these exercises need to be done explosively, correctly, and with a weight about 50-70% of your 1rm.

The only explosiveness that routine would possibly help with is doing a a curl motion, and that's IF you trained it with explosive movements and utilizing the short stretch reflex.

Remember, muscles adapt specifically to how you train them. Yes, some strength, power and skill translation does occur from a variety of exercises, but you should attempts movements that mimic the desired outcome specifically.

[Travis Bell]

LOL this thread is so old

However you are correct, there really is no such thing as a need for bicep explosivness.